Soar!
by DoilyRox
Summary: My predecessors never lasted for a reason: the screams haunted you till the day you died. Which came quickly, considering most committed suicide after two months. I consider myself a peaceful person, but war has a way of finding those who hide the best.
1. The Death of a Family

**If I owned Bleach, I'd disown it.**

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_"Teach me peace, Eagle. Happiness!"_

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I hated cars.

Out of all the devices we, as humans, have ever built, cars were by far the worst. Millions died because of them every year. Not to mention the mass amount of pollution they produced, ruining our planet even further. I mean sure, they had their uses, but bicycles, trains, planes or boats could easily replace every car. We'd survived without cars for millennia; they were a needless accessory in our day-to-day lives.

Of course, the one thing I hated worse than cars was alcohol.

Drunks were the worst. Booze was easy to get in America, sold at every corner store for those looking to have a good time. When people got slammed, they got stupid. A single word when drunk has caused plenty of wars, I'm more than sure. People, when drunk, were not themselves. They would do stuff they would never even think of in their entire lifetime. Alcohol was the worst drug in the world; of that, I was positive.

So when those two things combined to take away one of the people closest to me in my life, I was furious. No, beyond that. I was pissed. As a child, I didn't have the right to act upon my anger though. My mother forced us into family counseling; driven my some perverted sense of grief that we had to 'talk' our way out of this mess. To a young girl that had just hit puberty, talking was most likely one of the worst things I could be forced to do. I never had any secrets- I wasn't allowed any. Privacy was a new drug to me- I became addicted to it as soon as I got a taste of it. To be able to do something, and only you know about it: that was power. But power was rare, as anything said to the psychologist went straight to the ears of my mother. Siblings didn't help either; my older sister Tif was never the type to understand me in the first place, so when she figured out how much I treasured privacy, she exploited it every chance she got.

Revenge was her justification. If I sneezed on her, she would sneak into my room and snoop around, looking for some incriminating evidence of one thing or another. And if she didn't find any, and god forbid she didn't, she'd make something up. It was her way of getting back at the world for the injustice done to our family.

A drunk driver killed our father, you see, and as he was the only source of income for our family, it nearly drove us over the edge. 1994 was the year he passed away, on a dreary day not too different from the day I died. Those two years in between his death date and mine were hell. Mother was either jobless or about to get fired, resorting to purging her angst in faked family time where she tried far too hard to make everything perfect. There was also baby Maya to take care of, which fell on Tif more often than not as Mom hunted for jobs in vain. Babysitters were a luxury we couldn't afford, so soon enough the both of us, me and Tif, had to drop out of school to take care of the house while Mom flounced from job to job, barely making ends meat and letting us live off welfare. The counseling was the only thing she splurged on, besides the occasional family date.

So, when we arrived in Soul Country, you can imagine my shock at not finding it much better. To get away from the hell, I decided to become a Reaper.

But before I get to that, I should probably tell you how I died. Like I said, it was a dreary night, not unlike the one that took my father from me.

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The clouds covered the sky in a horrid gray that was tinted with polluted green and putrid orange. And those colors were never meant to be mixed that way. Rain fell from the sky, pattering on our windshield and running through our tires as we drove up to the stoplight, pausing when it turned red. The detested car was my only friend that day as I leaned against it's window, watching the rain soak the homeless on the streets, only sparing those who had thought to bring umbrellas with them to work that day.

Maya was sleeping in the backseat beside me, tucked safely into her car seat so that her little redheaded curls wouldn't be harmed should something dangerous happen. Tif sat in the passenger seat in front of me, year of age in her favor gaining her the right to sit beside our mother, who stressfully ran a hand down her face. We were on our way back from one of her spiffy little family counseling sessions, which had blown up in her face. The doctor scolded Tif for being so vengeful, once again, and Mom couldn't help but come to her daughter's rescue, claiming it was normal for an eleven year old to act out the way she did. That got me riled up, as she would never stand up for me that way, and soon enough me and Tif were having a fist fight in the middle of the office. Of course, then Maya started to cry, and Mom became preoccupied with her, leaving the poor doctor to try to tear me off of my annoying sibling. As proof of such a terrible day, I sported a set of bite marks across my arm, and a blackened eye. That was alright though, as I managed to set to her face not only a busted lip, but a bruised cheek.

An uneasy silence was set in stone inside the car, nobody willing to talk to each other, lest another fight break out. I was already grounded for the week, and I didn't care for making that sentence even longer. This stone was snapped like a twig when Mother started forward again, only to scream and swerve the car out of the way of the intersection, driving into the opposite lane. All of us screamed, and baby Maya woke up and started crying. It didn't last long, as everything happened in an instant after that. Whatever Mom saw hit us head on. All I caught at that moment was a flash of horrid black and white before I, and everyone else, was thrown forward. Things went dark.

The darkness faded into dizziness mere seconds after that, and that nausea cleared up even further in the next few moments. I was unharmed; the thought running through my head repeated itself over and over until it became a reality. When I thought I could move, I looked over to find Maya's large red curls redder than usual. A huge piece of glass from the car window slipped into the two year old's head, giving her a near instantaneous death. I screamed, or at least, I think I screamed. I couldn't hear myself. For some reason, that didn't set off the alarms that not everything was a-okay. In a state of what could be considered panic, I looked forward through the seats to find Tif hanging halfway out the car and halfway in. The front window was smashed to bits and pieces, and mother was nowhere in sight.

I had to find her. I had to make sure she was alright. I had to get Tif out of that position, get her to the ambulance that was surely on it's way by now. But the belt buckle wouldn't budge, no matter how hard I slammed down on it. I screamed at it, cursing and shouting. This time, I could hear myself. Panic and fear were lacing though my veins just as thick as the blood that kept me alive. A deep, disturbed chuckle brought me to a pause. I froze in my attempt at freedom, scared stiff at the voice.

"There you are…" The voice said, as if through a filter of evil and malice. It scratched and screeched, running through my head like a horrid wave of pure, pervasive hatred. Slowly, with all my fear showing on my face, I turned to look at the creature that spoke. It was large, easily the largest animal I had ever seen. But it didn't even look like an animal. It was a monster, a horrid, terrifying monster that glared straight at me through two dark holes in its pig-like white mask. Besides the mask, every other part of the creature was black. A shadowy black, that formed two elephant-like legs and bird like arms, complete with feathery outlines of a darker shade that I didn't know was possible.

I screamed as the monster reached at my car door, ripping it off its hinges with ease. Before I knew it, its strong grip was wrapped around me, pulling me out of the car and holding me up in the rain. I screamed over and over, shouting to anyone and everyone for help. It chuckled at my pathetic fight as I vainly tried to worm my way out of its painful grasp. When I managed to get one arm out, it's mask tilted into a grin, revealing a cavernous mouth that led to a horribly dark throat.

"You're going to make a delicious dinner." It stated, starting to bring me closer to its mouth. My throat ripped and tore in pain as I screamed louder than I ever thought possible. The scream was cut short as I suddenly felt myself dropping, still in the monsters grasp, onto the hard pavement of the intersection. As soon as my head banged against the surface, I found myself flying through the air once more, this time by rebound out of the monster's grasp. I hit the pavement for what could be hoped for as the last time as I rolled, gaining numerous cuts and bruises along the way. I coughed and hacked dirt and blood out of my throat as my roll came to a stop, lying on my belly against the stiff black road.

"Demon Way 22: Red Sun Blast!" A foreign, male voice shouted. A massive amount of heat surged into the area, breaking me out into a sweat instantaneously as red light flashed before my blurry vision. Just as soon as it came, it went, and the monster screeched in pain. I pushed my sore, bleeding, and bruised body off the ground with all the strength I could muster onto my knees, raising a hand to clear my vision. My hand came back wet, but in the state of confused panic I was in I didn't notice it. Instead, as soon as I could, I looked up to where I could hear the monster was, finding him with only his legs and head still attached to the shadowy torso. The voice let out a war cry coming from above, and I lifted my eyes just in time to see a man dressed in all black dropping in the air, a sword raised high. He fell fast, catching the monster off guard as his blade sunk in and through the monster's mask, slicing it cleanly in half.

What happened next I never would have expected. From the ground up, the monster started to disappear. No, that wasn't the right word. It started to dissipate, fading into nonexistent pieces that floated upward before becoming absorbed by the world, turning into nothingness. The man who had saved my life looked over his shoulder at me, a small frown tucking it's way onto his rather handsome face. In a skintight black shirt and knee length black trunks, he started on his way over to me with black moccasin's saving his feet from the crunching glass. He was tan, extremely so, with soft looking curly black hair and a pair of warm brown eyes that looked better suited for reading a book in front of a fire than out killing monsters.

"It's okay." He said, voice completely clear English. "You're going to be alright now." How kind of him, I almost thought. Saving my life like that. But after the word 'okay' I promptly stopped listening. I became distracted by who I knew wasn't okay.

"Mom…" My voice cracked as adrenaline hit me. No longer was the monster keeping me down. I had to find her. She had to be alright. I swiveled my head, red bouncing this way and that as I searched for her body. She was nowhere in sight. The dude looked somewhat concerned as his brows knitted together, but I turned all my attention away from him. Not seeing my mother, but spying Tif still hanging out of the window, I lifted myself onto my feet. The pain in my legs was nothing compared to how she felt, I swiftly reminded myself as I began to race over to her. As soon as I got there, I grabbed her shirt sleeve, starting to tug her out of the car. All I could get was an inch or so before I felt a hand on my shoulder. "You've got to help me!" I shouted at the guy, not looking over my shoulder at him, but simply knowing it was him.

"You can't help her. I'm sorry." I stopped at my vain attempts at pulling my sister out of the car. Even if she was a bitch half the time, she was still my sister. I still loved her.

"What are you talking about? Of course we can help her! You killed that monster, didn't you! Help me get her to a hospital!" I rounded on him, sending him the meanest glare I could muster. My anger turned to surprise, however, when I felt something warm press into my forehead. Next thing I knew, my feet started feeling light. My world was spinning, tilting up and down like a boat on an ocean in the middle of a windy day. His eyes, which were starting to blur together with the rest of him, softened to the point of tears almost starting to make their way forward.

"I'm sorry. Everything will be explained to you when you arrive. And don't worry, your family will be there soon."

All I could managed was a slurred 'wha?' before all the colors finally mixed to form a frightening black, and I lost my vision. Even that black, however, was gone as soon as I could think about it, as it faded into nothingness.

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For what seemed like a small eternity, I floated peacefully in that nothingness. There were no thoughts of panic, no remembrances at all. Everything was nothing, and nothing was everything. To imagine it would be impossible- for it would be imagining nothing. Nothingness was something that could only be experienced then and there. After that small eternity, however, something flowed through the nothingness. It was small, like a ribbon at first. The white ribbon, reaching through the nothingness began to wrap itself around me. Me, who was one with the nothing, became something once more.

And it was with that somethingness that understanding finally came to me. But it wasn't peaceful understanding; it was violent. Violent, like my death itself. For now I knew I was dead. That my life as the living would be no more, that I would have to die again to finally reach absolute peace. Through the nothingness this white ribbon dragged me into a realm of all white, which slowly faded away as the understanding grew. With a gasp, I lifted myself up into this new world.

"Oh! Another one already!" Said a very jolly looking man. His face was bloated and robust, and on him were sweat pants and a jogging shirt. At least he died trying to lose weight, I thought to myself, as disgust was soon to sweep over me.

But with the colors back, and understanding with me, I could not be happy. A foul mood enveloped me as I scowled, looking around where I was. In a line full of people, first and foremost, and I was the very last. It seems like the man in front of me had died just before I did. The line itself was long and seemingly endless. Below us was a vibrant, yet dull, gray tile, and we were surrounded on both sides by gray concrete buildings. The gray tile road stretched off into the seemingly endless distance, keeping straight through the rows upon rows of empty buildings.

"What's got you in such a bad mood, little lady? Didn't want to die? Not expecting all this?" The fat man asked, squatting down beside me. I myself had sat up when I gasped into this world. The red hair on my head seemed even more vibrant, yet less defined, than usual. I knew my bright blue eyes hadn't changed, either, because I could see myself in the reflection of the obese dude's glasses.

"Yes and yes." I finally answered him, pushing myself into a squat before standing up. It seemed like I was fully healed from my death. I was even dressed in the same clothes as when I died, which consisted of a short sleeve gray tee and a pair of jeans.

"Well," he said with a grin plastered on his, face, showing off his yellow and crooked teeth as his glasses glinted in the bright sun that hung above us. "You're in the Waiting Place now, so don't you worry about a thing! Everything's a-okay here!"

"The Waiting Place?" I asked, only coming up to the guy's mid-thigh. "What are we waiting for?"

"To get assigned to a district, of course! My name's Bill by the way, Bill Beasley. Pleasure to meet you… I'm sorry, I didn't ask your name yet!" His floundering brought a hand up to the back of his head, where he scratched with a nervous smile.

"Vallery. Vallery Wilkenson. What are districts?" He beamed down at me, ruffling my hair in the way adults always did. I frowned a bit, but he put it off and started to explain.

"Well, little Miss Vallery Wilkenson, A mighty fine pleasure to meet you. Districts are-" A groan interrupted him, sourcing from behind me. A very familiar groan, coming from a very familiar voice. I turned around to catch sight of none other than Tif, holding her head with one palm and supporting her body with the other.

"You too, huh? No wonder the dude said it was useless trying to get you out of the car." I commented, not as shocked to see her here as one might think I would be. The nothingness had calmed me quite a lot. The understanding, as easy as it was to refuse the whole idea of this place, did help a bit with the impact of coming into a new world.

She peeked one dusty brown eye open at me, the same mop of red curls hanging around her ears. Unlike her, however, I inherited mother's blue eyes. She got our grandmother's brown. "At least we're here together, then. What is this place?"

Her question came as she looked around. I answered her as she pushed herself up, standing at a height not much taller than me. "The Waiting Place, to get into something called districts. Mr. Beasley here was just explaining that to me."

His face went red from embarrassment as I called him, respectfully, by his last name. He gave out a low chuckle, looking to my sister with a kind pair of eyes that shone despite his horrid appearance. "My name is Bill, Bill Beasley. What's yours? And I take it you two are sisters?"

We nodded in sync, and she moved forward, past me, to hold out her hand. Mr. Beasley took it and gave it a hearty shake with a grin. "My name is Tiffany Wilkenson. A pleasure to meet you. Would you mind continuing to explain this place?"

"The pleasure is all mine little miss! As I was saying, we're at the Waiting Place, which is basically one giant line for everybody who gets sent here by the Reapers-" He started again with one heaping smile of good-natured happiness.

"Excuse, me, but Reapers?" Tif intruded.

"Is that the guy who killed the monster?" I asked Bill, not waiting for him to answer my sister's question. He smile grew at our combined curiosity.

"I bet it was, little Miss. Reapers kill Hollows, which are what you are probably referring to when you said 'monster'. Then, they send souls of the recently departed, like us, here! It's a great system, really. Very structured and organized. Reapers are like the living world's police force equivalent. They protect and help out souls like us."

"Oh, okay. Please go on then." Tif nodded for the both of us. Just as he was about to get started, however, a great wail took up in the Waiting Place, causing many souls to turn and watch us. Tif and I snapped to attention immediately, her snatching the babe off the ground and settling Maya on her hip while I pulled my face back into a forced smile, clapping and laughing at the baby to get her to shush. Her red face was soon fading as Tif bounced her, turning her to me so I could keep her attention. I gasped, playfully tickling Maya lightly on the stomach.

"You're such a brave girl Maya! Shush now- don't let all this get to you! You're safe now! No big bad monster is here! Shush shush sweetheart! Don't cry! Look, everybody is happy here!" Her wails eventually died down into a sad look as her blue eyes, matching mine, looked around. It was then that, with a frown, I noticed the rather large line of pearly white scar tissue stretching from the beginning of her hairline down to right above her left eyebrow. Her head turned this way and that until she caught sight of big ol' Mr. Bill.

"Hey there!" He gushed, sounding just about as overjoyed as a new father, which, as much as it crept both Tif and I out (it set off protective siblings alarms), we silently handled because we knew she would need support from not just the two of us, but from everybody she set her eyes on. "How are you Miss Maya? Such a loud thing, but so cute! You have to be one of the most adorable things I've ever seen!"

She was successfully giggling by the time he stopped thanks to our combined insensible fake happiness and my giggling. 'Thank you', mouthed Tif to Mr. Bill, who just nodded with a knowing smile.

"Maya? Where's Maya? Tif- oh thank God!" Mom finally spotted the four of us, not giving a glance to Mr. Beasley before standing up and taking her youngest baby into her arms. Tif and I were pulled into one giant hug not much later. "Oh, my babies! I was so worried! How are you? Is everything okay?" Her questions only came after the both of us pulled away, and I could feel relief washing over me. Mom was here, so things would be okay. She wouldn't let anything happen to us. "Ah! Who are you? My name is Clarissa, Clarissa Wilkenson. And these are my children-"

I stopped her just as she was about to name us off. "We already introduced ourselves, Mommy. This is Mr. Bill."

"Oh! Okay! Good to meet you, Bill…" Her starting off optimism at my statement died down once she got a look at the man. He bashfully smiled, taking her hand and giving it a good shake.

"Bill Beasley, at your service ma'am. I must say: you have done a fine job raising these young girls. They're extremely well mannered, and quite smart!" His compliments made her beam at him, instantly winning himself onto her good side.

"Why thank you Bill! I try. Though, it seems I didn't try hard enough… what is this place? Do you know how we got here?" Her instant switch from happiness to depressed curiosity made me tug on her skirt leg.

"We're in the Waiting Place, about to be sorted into districts. Mr. Reaper sent us here, since we're dead. Mr. Bill says things are better here." Her brows furrowed at my choice of words, apparently not liking the 'sorted' part. Bill was quick to come up after I ended.

"Don't you worry, Ms. Clarissa, they keep families together." My mother instantly relaxed at his words, sending both of us small smiles.

"Well, that's the best news I've heard all day. Oh, look! The line is moving!" She beamed at Mr. Bill, who grinned back and turned around taking the three paces forward that we all moved before looking back at us. "Now, what are these districts all about?"

Her question made Mr. Bill start off explaining once again, but this time, thankfully, he was not interrupted. "Districts are small zones of land in the Soul Country that house a certain number of souls, like us. There are four zones: North, South, East, and West. In each zone there are about 120-150 districts, each with free housing for people to live in. The more free housing, typically the better the district. Most of the times, districts are better in the lower number range, because they're closer to the Soul City."

"Soul City?" Tif asked for all of us. He nodded.

"It's a giant city where all of the Reapers live. Though I've never seen it myself I've heard it's a very nice place. Normal souls like us aren't allowed in though. But the districts, I hear, are nice enough. Besides, it's not a bad place here. You never get hungry, and age slows down a lot." His seemingly infinite knowledge went unquestioned by new comers like us. Except that last part. It wasn't true, and I told him that.

"Nu-uh. I'm hungry right now." I told him, catching his lie. Mom frowned, slapping my hand lightly.

"Don't smart off to Mr. Beasley. It's probably just a tummyache." Her sharp retribution made me bite my lip in shame. I glanced up to Mr. Bill, who gave me a pitying smile before he turned to my mom.

"Please, Ms. Wilkenson, call me Bill."

I looked to Tif, catching her watching me. Her eyes held a look that said to tough it up, you're not a kid anymore; but then there was something behind her expression. When she looked away, I could tell she was getting hungry too.

"Only if you call me Clarissa, Bill." The smile they shared was amiable and kind. Small talk was soon to follow in the conversation.

"So Bill, how do you know all of this? You haven't actually been here before, right?"

Bill nodded at Mom's question, "One of the Reapers was strolling by on duty once, and I managed to catch him as soon as I came. He was kind enough to answer all of my questions and more."

"Ah," Mom nodded, beginning to understand. "And there is free housing you say? Everybody gets some?"

He beamed, "Yep! It's all based off of needs, though. If you need more room, you'll get a bigger house. Eventually you have to buy it from the district, to legally own it, but that's only if a family needier than you comes along. They'll ask you to leave if that happens, and sort out giving you a smaller house. But once you buy it, it's yours. Nobody can budge you then. Unless, of course, the Reapers need your land, which is practically never."

Mom seemed much happier at that. "Why, things here really are much better!" Bill laughed.

"Sure are!" We moved forward again, another four paces. This time, a pair of gates came into view. Large and metal, their doors were swung open on its hinges, revealing a light and dark yellow swirling mass. I had no clue what it was, but considering Bill just referred to it as a 'gate' I could guess it would transport us any place we needed to go. Two dark-skinned men stood on either side with clip boards and papers in their hands. People were passing through once every five minutes per guy, and to each of them a small piece of paper was given. Most of the people entering looked happy, but some looked nervous. "Would you look at that! We might just get in today!"

Another person appeared behind us in line, much to my mother's general shock. Shock turned to happiness, however, as the man stood, brushing himself off. He was handsome, even for however old he was. Peppered gray hair was clipped in a buzz cut manner, and his fresh tux was gleaming and spotless.

"Where am I?" He asked, looking around. When he spied my mom, he blinked into reality. "Are you an angel?"

Mom blushed and laughed softly. Bill laughed as well, getting the man's attention with a wave of his hand. "She might as well be! Welcome to the Waiting Place my friend! My name's Bill, and that angel over there is Clarissa. Her children are Vallery here, Tiffany, and Maya. What's your name?"

"Mason." He said carefully, looking over each of us in turn. "Mason Grant. Pleasure to meet you all. Waiting Place, you said? What are we waiting for? Heaven? Hell?"

"Entrance to the Soul Country." Bill quipped happily, answering all of his questions with a broad smile. Mr. Grant was a nice fellow, ex-army. He was on his way to a job interview for a high-end Banking Company when he was shot in a hold-up trying to get the others to safety. Mom took a liking to him right away, probably because of the compliment he accidentally gave her. But either way, the instant friendship between the two of them came in handy as we approached the gate.

"I don't know why, but I'm getting a bit nervous here. Do they accept families at the gate?" Mom kindly answered him, as Bill was already making another friend. He had given up his spot in line, moving to the back to greet everybody that was new. After about three people down, we knew he had been doing this for a good while.

"They do." An idea struck as a great smile went across her face. "How about you stick with us, Mason? It'd sure be nice to have a man in the house at the start- just to help us settle in a bit. If you don't want to it's completely okay! I just thought that birds of a feather and all might apply well to this situation."

Mason, to his credit, actually laughed a bit at Mom's floundering. With a bright grin of his own, he gave a nod, "I would love to, Clarissa! It's very kind of you to offer! I would probably be very bad off on my own. You know us men- always need a woman to keep us in order." Mom laughed, and Tif rolled her eyes at the two, crossing her arms. I smiled at her reaction, speaking to her lowly so that the adults, who were busy making fun of their own genders, couldn't hear.

"What's wrong, Tif? You've been sour ever since Mr. Mason came." She scowled at me.

"What's wrong? You can't really be that stupid, can you?" She stepped closer to me, being ignored by Mom, and whispered her next words harshly into my ear. "Mom's trying to replace Dad, you dolt."

"But isn't that okay?" I whispered back lowly, not in her ear, but close enough so that only she could hear. "I mean, Dad's been gone for two years now. We'll never see him again. Look at her, she seems so happy." Tif glared at me and my childlike attitude, ever rotten to the core.

"Whatever. You're just an idiot. It was stupid to think you'd understand." I frowned, hurt, but didn't respond. She preyed upon the weak after all- it was her vicious personality. At long last, as we had been standing for what seemed to be hours, we reached the front of the gate. The men I had seen before were now clearly modern-day Indians. Native Americans. Or whatever they were called. They were both guys, with strong looking jaws and dark hair. Instead of what the picture books always showed Indians as, however, they wore the same outfit as the Reaper had. They were stricter looking, however, so the only thing keeping me from ducking behind Mom when we were called forward were Mr. Bill's words earlier. He had put us all at ease.

"One family?" The Reaper guy asked, and Mr. Mason took the lead, placing a hand on Mom's shoulder.

"Yes." Seeming to predict the guy's next question (or maybe he overheard from the previous family), he added on a second later: "Five members. Three kids and two adults."

The Indian nodded, scribbling everything down on his clipboard, which seemed to never have to be flipped. "Names?"

"Mason Grant, Clarissa Wilkenson, Maya Wilkenson, Tiffany Wilkenson, and Vallery Wilkenson." He motioned to each of us in turn. The Indian's eyes lingered on me for a second, flashing some unnamed emotion before scribbling everything down on the clipboard. His hand always returned to the same line, however, and I couldn't help but ask about it as he hurried to write everything.

"Is that a magic clipboard, mister?" I questioned, hand gripping tighter on Mom's skirt, just in case he got angry with me. Adults did that sometimes; get angry for no reason. Mom was known for it. A bemused smirk tilted its way onto his face as he looked down at me.

"Yes, it is." The next question was directed at my mother. "Children's ages?"

"Eleven, ten, and two." It was obvious who was what. When the writing finally stopped, the pulled off five small paper squares, all attached side by side like tickets. He handed them to Mason, who took them with a nod.

"District 93 South. Head through the gate." Placing on hand on Mom's back and the other on Tif's, Mason began to guide all of us through the gate. Right before we stepped into the mass of sunshine swirls, however, I took one last look at the Indian guy from my new vantage point, finding his clipboard empty. But it was too late to ask him about it, because one foot was already in the gate. The Indian caught my gaze right before I left, however, and he tipped me another small, barely shown smile. This time, though, a wink was added.

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**Yeah, so... don't kill me! I had to do it! The muses were screaming at me! Screaming!**

**So, I'm not really that big of a fan of Bleach. It was good, until Ichigo saved Rukia. After that Arc, things got really old, really quick. In fact, the only reason I even keep up with Bleach is to see the characters die. :/ Harsh, isn't it? Anyway, this story will follow the narrator here, Val, throughout the infrastructure of the American's "Soul Country". It's the western equivalent of Japan's Soul Society, as you will see. Many things (just about all, actually) are the same, just with different, English names. But don't worry, you get some yummy Japanese action. It'll just take awhile to build up to that point; you see. I can't just start her off from where she enters Soul Society, that's not right. You have to know her story, know _her._ So, for now, please deal with my OC central. If Val starts to seem like a Sue, I'm sorry. In all honesty, I'll try to avoid that path. Just makin' a story here, not some two hundred plus chapter fic that goes on and on and on. I highly doubt I'll make it to fifty chapters, quite honestly. With the length I'm putting into all of it.**

**On that note, if the length doesn't match the detail, and you want more of one and less of the other, please feel free to tell me. I'm willing to experiment with this fic, as Val is a pretty easy character to write. Critiques and flames are welcome, who am I to say what you can and cannot think, after all? Reviews in general are too kind :] So, leave one and tell me what you think! I'll try to stick with this story as long as possible, with weekly updates. I'm thinking Wednesdays, simply because I'm already updating MSD then.**

**Like it? Love it? Hate it? Review and tell please!  
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	2. Survival of the Fittest

**As promised, here is the second chapter. Enjoy :p

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_"Teach me how to speak, Eagle. Scream!"_**

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By the end of that first week, I knew things here would be just as bad as things in the living world- for worse reason's though.

"What are we going to do for money? We need it to pay the bills, and eventually, buy this house." Mom said as we shuffled around the furnished building. Built like a Civil War Era cottage, Maya, Tif and I shared a room in the small, two-story building that crammed itself next to it's neighbors- all of which having the same architecture. Our neighbors had come by and helped us settle in, giving a bowl full of fruits as a welcome to the neighborhood gift. The neighborhood, as it was, was right off the main street, where people were buying and selling all sorts of stuff. We had found our way quite easily, as people directed us to our house and handed both of the adults a copy of the key. They shared a room, much to Tif's general disdain. An hour of explaining things to me later, and it was to my general disdain, as well. Maya had a crib set up in the corner of the room, closest to Tif's bed, which was shoved up against a wall. My own bed was against the opposite wall, leaving little room for either of us to play in. It was pleasant, though. Nicer than our old house.

"Well, I'm pretty good with a hammer and nail, so I might be able to get a job as a carpenter around here. What about you?" Mom thought it over for a few seconds, sitting down on the blue couch in the living room while messing with her nails.

"I'm not quite sure. The sooner we buy, the better, and that means we need the money fast. But then again, Maya will need a mother, and Tif has already done so much." My Mom's guilt was apparently striking a lot of pity from Mason, who came and sat beside her. He rubbed her back gently, offering a small smile as Tif and I watched from the stairs. There was no kitchen in the house, and after we came to the general conclusion that Maya felt hunger, too, we stashed the fruit bowl in our room for safe keeping. We may not get along very well, but we both knew our mother better than anybody else. She would never believe we got hungry. It would crush her ideal world, and she would never let that happen.

"Hey, I'm sure we won't get kicked out too soon. How about you stay at home? The girls really need a mother in times like this." Mom sent him a very caring smile back. A look was shared between the two of us sisters. We couldn't let that happen. Mom would hurt Maya. Whether it is her annoyance as the babe cried for food, or just an accident: she had done it once, and she would do it again.

Tif took the time to speak up, entering the room like she had only caught the last part of what was said. "What's going on?"

Mom scooted closer, unfortunately toward Mason, and patted the empty couch area next to her. I decided to stay on the stairs to watch, knowing I might ruin whatever plan Tif no doubt had to get our mother out on her feet. She needed a job. She wasn't good at home. When Tif took her seat and looked up to Mom with her widest eyes, Mom tucked a few curls behind my sister's ear. "Me and Mason were just talking over potential jobs. How would you feel if I got to stay home from now on? I could take over with Maya, and you and Val can finally be kids again."

Tif frowned, quite openly. I winced- that was too straightforward! "But Mommy, you're not as good with Maya as I am. Can you please get a job? Please? It'd make us feel safer." She then climbed into Mom's lap, wrapping her arms around our mother. Mason's mouth twisted upward into a smile as he watched the scene. Mom kissed the top of Tif's head with a small smile, wrapping her arms around her child. With a deep sigh, she spoke again.

"I guess. If it makes you feel better. But if you ever need anything with Maya-" Tif interrupted, pulling herself away from Mom with a broad smile.

"I won't! Val is here to help!" With that she hopped out of our shocked mother's lap, running to the stairs and past me, all the way to the top, without sending me so much as a glance. She went all the way to the room with loud footsteps before waiting a short moment in the room.

"Quite a mature young lady. You did a good job in raising her." Mason complimented, eyes lingering on the stairs. For a second, I thought he saw me, but Mom pulled his attention away too quick for that to be possible. Hearing a small shuffle of clothes, I looked up the stairs to find Tif silently easing her way down the wood structure.

"Ah, well, I try. You've got quite a way with kids, though." Mason laughed lightly, taken aback in the slightest.

"Oh really? What makes you say that?"

Mom's smile turn wistful as she looked at Mason's dark eyes. "When you held Maya, she fell right asleep. That doesn't even happen for Tif." Tif's face tilted downward as she shook her head at me.

'It does.' She mouthed, and I nodded to her, rolling my eyes at our Mom's obliviousness. A tap came to my knee a few short seconds later. I looked to Tif, who, when seeing she had my attention, jerked her thumb upstairs. I nodded, leading the way silently back to our room.

"Okay, so here's the plan. Tomorrow when Mom and Mason go out looking for jobs, we go with them. We need to do a bit of information gathering about this place." I took everything she said seriously. As much as we may not have gotten along in the past, we now had hundreds of years in front of us. Things would be different here- they had to be. We needed food, and Mom would never come to realize that. That fruit bowl wouldn't last a week, too, when feeding three. Our lives may depend on my ability to take orders, I noticed with a grim nod, and she continued. "Mom's obviously infatuated with Mason-"

"Pause." I stopped her, and she sent me an irritated look. "What does infatuated mean?"

She almost began to scream at me when Maya shifted, causing her to stop suddenly and turn to the baby. Without a word, she lifted the child into her arms and began to sway, rocking the two year old back to sleep. An angry glare was sent my way. "It means she likes him a lot, idiot."

I bit my lip, a bit frustrated at her constant sense of superiority, when I just sighed and nodded, remembering what I told myself earlier. Our lives may depend on my ability to take orders. She continued at my obvious submission.

"Since Mason's not going anywhere anytime soon, I can expect that we'll be able to talk our way away from the two of them. From there, we have to gather as much information as possible, you hear? We need to know why we're hungry. If nobody else is, and it's not normal, we need to get it fixed. But if it's normal, then we need to find a way to get food, without the adults finding out." I sighed and nodded, think of the worst possible scenarios. We were more likely to die of starvation before Mom accepted the reality of things. "Until we can find more food, we need to ration, and that means use wisely, the fruit bowl. Keep it hidden from Mom, and I'll convince her she lost it. You're the best at those sorts of things."

If she referred to being sneaky, then that was debatable. She won the award for that, in my book. But if she was referring to my ability to keep stashes, then I was second to none. My privacy craze paid off now. She needed my skills. I nodded, moving to the small closet the two of us would be sharing with baby Maya and picking the fruit bowl off the floor. From there, I quietly moved over to the small nightstand by Tif's bed, opening the bottom drawer and re-arranging the bowl's contents so that everything would fit without the drawer jutting out.

"I never would've thought of that." I shrugged, taking it as a compliment.

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

* * *

"I'm home!" Mom called as she entered the house, bright smile on her face as she shut the door behind her. She didn't notice Maya or me on the couch until she was right next to us, dropping her scarf and jacket on the living room table. "Val? Why do you have Maya? Where's Tif?"

I frowned up at her, catching her harmless, but still irritating bias. "I'm good with Maya too, Mommy. Not as good as Tif, but better than you or Mason." Her eyes blinked open in shock before she nodded, a smile coming to her face. She bent down and kissed the top of my head before kissing Maya's, too.

"My girl's are so good to their sister." She said, more to herself than anybody else. "But still, where's Tiffany?"

The truth would be stupid to tell her. Both of us knew that if Mom ever figured out anything, she'd be devastated. So we kept it all hidden, and this was our third day doing so. Tif had met a talkative old guy, and sent me home with Maya while she chatted away with the geezer. 'This information', she whispered to me as she handed me the baby, 'is priceless.' "Out looking for a bookstore."

My lie sounded so much like what Tif would do Mom bought it with ease. "Okay, as long as she's back by dark." With that, she headed upstairs to her room. I continued on with Maya in front of me, speaking in a low voice only the baby could hear.

"Oh, oh…" I repeated the sound to her again and again. She giggled at my noises. "Oh-nay. Nay, nay. Oh-nay." I said while pointing to myself. "Chan. Chan. Onee-chan."

"Ououou…" Maya bubbled, spit starting to dribble out of her mouth. With a small smile, I pulled my sleeve down and wiped away the saliva. She was finally getting it, at least a tiny bit.

"What are you two doing?" Mom asked, coming back in the room. I tried not to look at her, knowing it'd be harder to talk.

"I'm teaching her Japanese." Mom hid her displeasure well, coming to sit and the loveseat adjacent to the couch. Dad was half-Japanese, and his mother taught it to him when he was a kid. When we were younger, he'd always talk to us in it, to encourage us to broaden our horizons. Mom didn't like it. She called it gibberish. But it helped us, in the long run. In the second six months after Dad's death, we lost our home. Dad's parents kindly offered us a place to stay, and the three of us: Tif, Grandma, and me spoke to each other using the foreign language while Mom was out hunting for jobs. Through Grandma, both Tif and I were now fully bilingual.

"What are you teaching her to say?" Mom asked warily, watching the baby bounce happily in front of me, repeating her newfound sound.

"Onee-chan. It means 'older sister'." Slowly, Mom nodded. Tif chose that opportune moment to enter the house, spying us immediately. She continued forward, going to sit behind Maya, who squealed out of the pure joy of seeing her favorite sister. Tif took the baby into her lap with a smile, starting to bounce the child, who laughed delightedly.

"You find the bookstore, Tiffany?" Mom asked, beaming at how motherly her children were. Tif caught onto my cover for her with the ease of someone who had been lying since she could talk.

"No, but I did find a clothing store. Maybe after you get your first paycheck we can all get some new clothes." Her insinuation was less selfish than Mom would know- Tiff had been scrubbing Maya's clothes clean with creek water for the past two days. The baby had no diapers, and of course, our mother didn't think of such things.

"That's a splendid idea, Tif! I could use a new pair of shoes!" Fake smiles plastered onto our faces made Mom believe that was our true intention of bringing the subject up. Mason, who returned from work later that night, agreed to the plan.

* * *

"Red," I held up the diaper with red trim, "or blue?" My question was asked to Tif, who had come to stand beside me in the store. We were in the baby section of an old, wooden floored, two-level store. A kind old lady ran the place, the wife of the old geezer Tif had spoken to yesterday. She sold all sorts of clothes, for all family members. Even items needed to wash clothes. And since a washer and dryer were far too expensive, we had already set aside the money to buy a basin and board for scrubbing.

The talk Tif had with the elderly man must have been really long, too, because she came back with a butt-load of information. Like restaurants in the area, stores for us to shop at should we ever have money, but most importantly, information that applied directly to us. Like us, Reapers needed food. They needed food because of a thing called 'Soul Energy', which required food for upkeep. Reapers would die if they didn't eat, unlike normal Souls. This 'Soul Energy' could be used for a number of things. Like making you run faster, have tougher skin, or even perform magic (which made the "Demon's Way" thing the Reaper did to the Hollow a lot clearer).

"Red." Tif said, pointing to the price sign hanging above the rack full of different colors. "It's cheaper, so we can buy more." I nodded, grabbing a good ten of them. The both of us had decided to give up on new clothes now in exchange for providing for Maya. And considering Mom just gave us portions of her paycheck, we could spend it all on the babe and she'd be none the wiser. Maya sighed, grabbing five. "We can forage food, but the creek's water needs to be purified before we can drink it. Not forgetting milk, which Maya needs to grow. From now on," Tif, to my alarm, pulled back the back of her jeans and shoved the diapers in between her pants and her underwear, "we steal what we cannot afford."

Realizing this wasn't the time to be freaking out, I just nodded as she grabbed a spare pair of panties for us both before we headed up to the counter, paying for the clothes. The old lady was none the wiser when we walked out. My adrenaline high, I almost screamed when Tif grabbed my arm, pulling me down the street. "Quiet!" She hissed, ducking her head as she glanced from store to store. Her gaze traveled to one in particular, one that had a vending area out front. It sold different types of cheeses and milks. "That is what we hit tonight. Maya needs milk. She already lost too much weight." I nodded, checking the store out as quickly as possible as we passed it, small bags full of our bought goods in our hands. The owner seemed to be a plump enough man, making a decent enough profit. He wouldn't miss a gallon or two of milk. "Everyday we'll look around town for new places like that. Hitting the same store twice in a row is a sure-fire way to get caught. Since I'll be with Maya, I'll need you to do the actual work for me."

I hesitated, watching my older sister with wide eyes.

"Whatever you do, do not get caught. Maya's dead if something happens to either of us, got it?"

I swallowed, looking around the town, feeling nervous already. I was a thief now, whether I liked it or not. And with Maya on my shoulders, it was time to grow up. Plenty of people stole nowadays. Especially in high-numbered districts like ours. South only had a total of 134 districts, and 93 could be pretty rough sometimes. Spying a few people who already looked like they had full pockets, I memorized their faces as best as I could. If I ever learn to pickpocket, they would be good targets.

"You don't have to tell me that."

* * *

My heart beat in my chest, and I was sure he could hear it as he strode throughout the store, checking to make sure everything was in place before he went to the back and shut off the lights, entering a back door that no doubt led to his private quarters and locking it behind him. I had entered the store silently, right before he started closing up. Hiding behind a box of crates was easy- a drapery of red felt covered the space as wheels of cheese decorated the boxes. Tif had told me all about the layout of the store, down to every little detail. She had an eye for that sort of stuff, which I guess is why she was always so good at destroying my privacy.

I only left the small space when I started to hear his snoring. Sliding from between the two boxes was the easy part- finding the milk, in the dark, was not. After wincing too many times from making the slightest creak, I finally found the correct barrel. The frothy white milk was a welcome sight to my sore eyes, which missed the sighted of a liquid outside spit and water. Leaving the barrel open so that I might be quieter, I slipped through the three dark isles to the back of the store. From there, I crawled on and over the counter, dropping down to find where the milkman held his containers. Picking up a circular one that looked like it could hold a good half-gallon of milk, I placed its wooden frame softly on top of the counter. Climbing back up and over was the easiest part, as I had figured out how the first time I did it. Picking up the container, I tiptoed over to where the milk was stored, dunking the container in to fill it up. Thanking whatever forces that be that the milk didn't slosh too loudly, I capped the container and set it on the ground, easing the barrel's lid back into place.

Just as I was about to exit the store's back door, something caught my eye. I turned and bit my lip, staring at the wheel of cheese. I hadn't had cheese in a while. We were also beginning to run low on fruit. Food was necessary to survival. Swallowing, and knowing I was pushing my boundaries, I decided to go for it. Being as quiet as physically possible, I shifted the milk into one arm, grabbing the cheese wheel and setting it on top of the wooden milk holder. Leaving the one arm open, I steadily passed by the owner's bedroom door, making my way to the very back door that would lead me to an alley. Pushing through the door, I silently closed into place behind me, stepping out into the shadowed alley. Just as Tif showed me, I took a right, heading deeper into the alleyway. Making a left, I traveled through another row of stores before making my way into the forest that surrounded the three separate small towns that inhabited district 93. From there it was easy, as no night-crawling animals disturbed my quietly padding feet across the forest floor. Eventually, from heading straight, I ran into the creek, which I followed up into our back yard. I crossed the lawn with some amount of confidence, knowing Tif was no doubt watching me through our bedroom window. Opening the door to our house as quietly as possible, I shut it closed behind me, starting to head for the stairs. I got halfway up them, too, when a voice interrupted my midnight getaway.

"Those are stolen, aren't they?" Mason's deep voice was dropped to a near whisper, as if he was the one scared to wake the others. I mentally cursed, wanting to both slam my head into my hand and run away. Would he tell mom? What was going to happen now? Tif would be so angry…

"Y-yes." When I realized I wasn't whispering, I had to pause and restart to do so. I was scared near stiff. His muscled figure leaned against the base of the stairs in the dark, and with a quite sigh, he spoke again.

"I thought as much…"

"Are you going to tell Mom?" I asked. I wanted to beg him, plead to him not to tell our mother. If only he would understand- she couldn't know! Everything would be ruined if she knew!

"Are you actually hungry?" I hesitated, watching him watch me before I nodded. "Then no, I won't tell your mother. Go stash it and go to sleep."

I swallowed, too willing to act like none of this happened to actually question why he was being so nice. Perhaps he understood? But, how could he? He would've told Mom if he were hungry- we wouldn't be doing any of this if Mom were the only one without an appetite. Instead of voicing any of these questions, I did as I was told. I left for my room, being as quite as I could as I hurried, placing the milk and cheese in the closet before sliding it shut. I hopped into my bed, ducking under the covers and settling in to face my window, back to Tif. She was sitting up in her bed, watching my strange actions with her ever-brown eyes.

"Get caught?"

I swallowed, clearing my throat. She'd be angry- I just knew it. "Mason said he wouldn't tell Mom." A creak suddenly came from right outside our door, and trading frightened glances, we knew it was Mason who was listening in on our conversation. Tif calculated her next words wisely, shooting me a look that screamed 'we'll deal with this later'.

"Then maybe he isn't as bad as we first thought."

And with those words, we nodded one last time to each other- bidding each other goodnight silently as we tucked ourselves in, attempting to sleep off the paranoid sense of fright.

* * *

**And... that's her situation :p Yeah, so, I was a bit disappointed when I saw that NOBODY REVIEWED last chapter, but I wasn't really surprised. A- It was the Holidays, not to mention a Saturday, so my story got pushed to the second page; B- Hello, what a sucky introduction, right? This definitely isn't my best work; last but not least, C- Whether or not you review doesn't really matter to the story. It matters to me, greatly so, but not to the story. Plus, the summary sucked when I first uploaded. I changed it, but hey, I don't think anyone noticed. Not to sound depressed, as that just isn't me, but I wouldn't be surprised if people thought the story sucked. Let's face it: the plotline is pretty basic, and the characters are all OCs so far.**

**They won't be forever though, so please, hold your horses.**

**I'd appreciate it if someone actually reviewed this chapter, as it's would be very kind of you. I'll keep updating on Wednesdays until I run out of chaps, then expect updates whenever I feel like it :p Sorry if that doesn't float your boat. Or find your lost remote. Or rock your socks. Or... okay, I'm out. You have any? Tell me in a review, please.**

**Review! See you next week!  
**


	3. The Captain

**Third Chapter, here we go! I don't own Bleach!  


* * *

**

_"Teach me how to Fly, Eagle. Soar!"

* * *

_

"Hey, Tif, come check this out." I called to my sister, who was currently rereading some book or another she asked me to lift last week. Three months had passed since we came, and in that time the prospect of stealing has become no more enjoyable. But it was what it was, and with no alternate source of food or income, I swiftly became adept at anything you could relate to a thief. That included speed and agility. If you could count the two of us- Tif and I, as one mastermind thief, she would be the mastermind, and I would be the thief. All I had going for me, past my general small size and quick feet, was my ability to pick up on things quickly. Tif had a cautious, and more skeptical brain than I did. She saw through a store when it placed traps for thieves like myself. With her brains and my skills, we were able to provide for Maya and ourselves on a weekly basis.

"What is it?" She snapped, looking up from her book with a glare. When she saw what I held in my hands, though, her attitude dropped. An orb, about the size of Maya's head, floated just above my palms. It was pale, almost lavender purple, and made of my pure Soul Energy. I had finally gotten to read some of the books Tif had told me to lift, and one of them had caught my eye- 'A Novice's Guide to Soul Energy'. It took about a week, but after I learned how to meditate it was easy. Finding peace helped draw out Soul Energy, which could then be used in any way. After you got adept enough at it, you could even use it without going into meditation first. "Oh my god…"

I nodded at her shock, and she put her book down on her bed, crossing the room in three steps to crawl on top of the covers that laid over mine. Maya was sound asleep in her crib, thank goodness, as she probably would've squealed at the sight, and that would bring Mom upstairs. She had lost her job, again, and was currently looking through the paper for possibilities. "Says here that I can use this Soul Energy stuff for a bunch of different things. Orbs like this are often used like bombs. If I don't focus hard enough, then it'll explode. But if I close my eyes and focus harder, I should be able to pull it back into me." She blinked, watching me as I stared at the orb in concentration.

"Then what are you waiting for, dolt? Let me see you pull it back in." Never minding her derogatory language, I closed my eyes, allowing myself to focus on the feeling of the orb floating above my hands. It was like a cool breeze circled around the lavender ball of energy, one that tangled itself into knots before winding through my fingers. As soon as it touched my open palms, the knots snapped and pulled back into the breeze, creating a cycle of gentle air flowing upon the surface of my skin. Taking a few deep breaths to completely calm myself, I pictured the energy ball, supported by my hands, slowly shrinking. When I started to feel a cool, welcoming flow of air breeze into and under my skin, I knew it was working. I kept shrinking it until I was certain everything was back with me, and when it was, I opened my eyes. All that was left of the orb was the tingling sensation in my palms, and the amazed look on Tif's face.

While Tif soon go the hang of doing the same summoning and shrinking of her energy (which was a pale, lilac pink), I was moving on to more practical uses. Using this energy, I could now Feather. It was like moving at a super-fast rate, using the energy inside you to help you move faster and longer distances. Feathering soon became a part of my heists: why spend all that time hiding when you could just appear in, then appear out?

Tif used the energy for different things, like morphing it into shapes and twirling them in the air to amuse Maya, who would always laugh and giggle, trying to grab at them with her small hands. They always evaded her though, as every time she got close to catching one, Tif would suck them all up into herself again, ruffling the child's hair. It was the week after I first discovered the orb that the dreams started to come. One night, it had gotten so intense that I ended up sleeping outside from that moment on.

* * *

The dream was always the same- I'd start off in a tree. The same tree, every single time. With gnarled, bare limbs and a twisted trunk, it held many arms and fingers up to the true blue sky. A sun shone off in the distance, bright, but soft yellow was never looked directly at. Instead, my sight was always drawn to the ground, where I was searching for something. A field of pale purple flowers lay below me- beautiful and breathtaking in everyway. The purple seemed to go magnificently with the pastel green grass that barely got to poke its head up and through the giant mass of lavender colored, four-petal heads. A gentle breeze started up, caressing against my skin as I sat in the tree. With the breeze came an urge. A strong, undeniable urge; the urge to fly.

And from that tree I jumped, spreading my wings and pushing off with my talon tipped feet. The breeze took me, building me up and taking me higher as I flew above the picturesque field. I was still searching for something though. The ground drew my attention, and I stared long and hard at it as I floated easily above it. With the wind sending shivers of joy down my back every time I flapped my wings, the only thing that I was missing was the name.

A name. That was what I was searching for. What is your name?

"My name…" It was the wind that spoke, the breeze that took to the flowers and brushed through their soft, comforting embrace.

What? What is your name?

"My name is…"

The words were warbled and warped. I couldn't hear them. I wanted to hear them. I had to know! I had to know! What is your name?

"My name is-"

* * *

A scream jolted me from the dream. I sat up in bed; head snapping to where the noise was coming from. Tif lay on her back, spine curved and arched as she clutched her chest. Another scream erupted from her throat, waking everybody in a mile radius. My ears ached as Maya woke up and began to cry. As soon as I was out of my covers and at my sister's side, Mom bust in through the door. Tif collapsed in the bed, panting with wide, fearful brown eyes looking everywhere. Mom was instantly by her, pushing me out of the way as she sat on the edge of the bed, lifting Tif up and into her chest.

"What is it? What happened?" Mason asked, and all I could do was stare in shock at Tif, who began to get her breathing under control, only to erupt in tears. Sobs poured from her as she wrapped her arms around Mom, who vainly attempted to soothe her shaking daughter with a calm tone and soft hands rubbing circles on her back.

"Shut that baby up!" Mom all but snapped, sharply looking over her shoulder at me. I jumped, pulled back into reality by the order. Nodding, I turned around and went to Maya, picking her up and holding her against me. Whispering soft words to my little sister, I smoothed down her wild locks of red curls. In my heart, I knew what had caused Tif's pain. The roof became my new bedroom from that night on.

* * *

A daytime heist. Out of all the easiest things to do, this was one of the most simple to get away with. Slipping into the crowd was supposed to be effortless, especially the crowds at Yamer, the largest (but still relatively small when compared to the human world) city in District 93 South. We had done it before. Many, many times as a matter of fact. Always we had gotten away. Always. I would steal something we needed from one of the hundreds of open-stall vendors and run, slipping into the crowd and getting away. Then, I'd feather to wherever Tif was watching Maya at, and we'd walk home. Considering Yamer was only a two-hour walk from our house, we typically hit it up at least once a month. But of course, it was just our luck that not one month after the dream incident, we ran into the worst possible group of people of the street.

Reapers. Three of them. Smart ones too.

Tif and Maya were waiting in an alley a ways down the road, waiting for me to come by and give them whatever I worked from the crowds or stalls, which could be anything from coin purses to a new pair of shoes to food or drink for Maya. This time, it was a combination of coin purses, which I had no trouble at all getting away with, and two warm, freshly baked loaves of bread. Those were more trouble. Usually, I'd lift the two loaves and make a run for it, and the owner would chase after me while I ran. This time, those Reapers were after me too. It probably didn't help that I had gotten one of their wallets.

As I ran through the crowds, ducking and weaving my way through people like the expert I was at doing this, the owner was quick to fall behind. A glance over my shoulder told me that the Reapers were starting to catch up, eyes locked on me.

One of them -the slowest- was a fully built, broad shouldered man wearing the typical male Reaper uniform. His face was ugly and square-ish, telling me that both of his faster companions were likely stronger, too. He began to pant not thirty seconds later, and was too big to catch sight of me in the crowd past all the people who had no intention of moving out of their daily paths just because another thief was at it again. The second one was a woman, big breasted and blonde. Dark, Native American skin clashed with the bright make-up and cheery look, but helped bring out her pale green eyes, which flashed too and fro trying to keep sight of my mop of curls. She wore a skin-tight quarter-sleeve length shirt that ended just above her belly button, revealing the beginnings of what I could guess as a tattoo. For bottoms a pair of black leggings went to her ankles, and wrapped around her hips was a black with gold trim miniskirt.

The last one was the only one I was truly worried about.

He managed to keep track of my every move as I weaved in and out of the crowd. People didn't move for him, but he still managed to keep within a ten-foot distance of me as I more than once ducked through a pair of legs. His pale white hair made his perfect white skin look even odder in contrast to his typical black outfit. Tattoos laced around his right leg, showing off a very large and very proud looking number '3' in black ink. His eyes, despite the harsh contrast of every once of him, held what looked to be a very smart and very brilliant pair of navy blue tones. I ducked into the alley I was supposed to meet Tif at, throwing the loaves to her as I passed.

"Reapers! Hide!" I yelled to her just in time as she automatically snatched up Maya and the loaves, holding all three items to her chest as she started to crawl under a hollow wood crate. The man either didn't seem to notice me shout to my sister, or didn't care, as he nearly slipped from stopping too suddenly before turning into the alley. One more glance over my shoulder and I saw him follow me out of the alleyway into a lawn of some Yamer citizen. Jumping up and over the small pond it held, I pounced over the high wooden privacy fence, into the next persons yard. A splash told me the Reaper was right on my tail. Sheets were pinned up in this yard, and with a tucked roll I slid under their cover, quick to get back on my feet and start running through their rows. After a good thirty seconds of losing the guy in the mass of white, I feathered to atop a building overlooking the alley Tif was hiding in. The girl was standing there, hands on her knees as she panted for breath, being out run by the pale dude and I. My throat constricted as I realized what I had to do. I had to get her out of the alley, make her chase me far away so that Tif could run home safely. Sucking in a deep breath, I stuck my thumbs in my ears and made a face down at her. "Na-na-Na-na Boo-boo! You look like some doo-doo!" My rhyme irked her as a pulsing vein appeared on her head when she caught sight of me. Just as I wanted, she feathered to atop the building, right behind me.

"You brat!" She snapped, cracking her knuckles. I faked a grin at her, sticking out my tongue as the pale dude appeared at her side.

"Catch me if you can!" I feathered at a pace I knew they could handle, jumping from rooftop to rooftop across the city, until I knew Tif had enough time to get away. I glanced to each side of me- they seemed to be speeding up. Gulping, I hopped from a low roof into the crowds of Yamer, not having to take a second glance to know the girl followed, while the guy stayed up top. With all the strength my legs could muster, I began to feather at my top speed throughout the crowd. The girl lost me within five seconds, but it took the guy a good thirty before he was finally out of sight of my heels. Seeing this, I dropped to a normal jog, breaking from the crowd and heading into a dim alleyway that was growing darker by the second from the setting sun. My panting breaths took a good minute or so to calm to a normal heart rate. "Shit…" I cursed, looking out into the street to catch a glimpse of the sky. "Mom'll be pissed if I'm out past curfew."

"So even brats like you have curfews?" I shortly screamed at the voice, jumping as my heart rose to my throat. Turning my head so fast I felt pain, I spied the woman squatting on a crate, face in palm with a good bit of sweat ruining her hairdo. Just as quickly as I saw her, I turned back to the streets, preparing to run again when I stepped into something hard.

"Ow!" I yelped, holding my nose as I stumbled away from the brute whose sheer chest smashed it. Sure enough, the man who had lost track of me so easily stood blocking the way to the street, three-hundred pounds of sheer muscles mass greeting my nose in a throbbing manner. My pain was soon forgotten as I figured out what they had done. Without much further thought, I began to feather the hell out of there, past the woman, when a strong hand stopped me, pressing into my chest to keep me from going anywhere.

"Tut-tut." He wagged a long, slender finger at me, face dancing into mock delight at the little game of chase we played. With the exhausting amount of feathering we did, he'd broken into a small, barely noticeable layer of sweat. "Can't have you feathering around just anywhere." I backed away from his hand, sending him the meanest glare I could muster. He seemed taken aback from such outright rebellion, as he dropped his hand and watched me as I slipped my own into my pocket. Grabbing the assholes wallet, I tossed it straight at his face. He caught it with the ease of a baseball player playing catch with a group of children.

"There, you can have your wallet back. Now can I go?" He blinked in shock, and it took me a good three seconds to realize that he hadn't noticed it was gone. The woman to my right roared with laughter at the priceless look on the pale guys face. The guy to my back chuckled in a deep voice, his folded arms moving back and forth from his shaking shoulders.

"She got you there, Captain." My eyes widened, this was a Captain? He seemed to notice my shock, pocketing his wallet slowly as my mean façade crumpled. I was screwed. There was no way in hell I could ever get away from a Captain. Even a street rat like me knew about their strength.

"That she did. Though I suppose if she knew who I was, she wouldn't have bothered."

"An astute observation, Sherlock." The sarcasm slipped out before I had the chance to think about it. I crossed my arms out of nervousness, but attempting to hold my ground. The woman grinned, laughing again.

"She just keeps gettin' ya!" The pale Captain stared at me, bemused smirk on his face. I looked right back at him, attempting to decipher just what he was going to do. I didn't get to ask the question, either, because the big guy voiced it for me.

"So what do we do now, Captain?" Said man in question shrugged, easing his ten skinny fingers into his black pockets.

"Depends, do you understand that what you've done is wrong?" His question was both hypocritical and annoying, breaking through my nerves like a knife to butter. If I was considered to be a thief, then what would my Mom, who would not feed us, be? An abusive parent? Surely not: she tried her hardest. A would-be murderer? No, she loved us. She would easily die for us. He seemed to sense my anger before I even spat the venomous words out.

"If feeding my baby sister is considered wrong, then doing the right thing is damn stupid." The games were over after I spoke that sentence. No more laughter was present. He matched my eyes with his navy blues for a second, determining if I was serious or not. When he found that I was, he sighed, raising a hand and scratching the back of his head.

"In that, you're right once more." His hand dropped to the back of his neck, and he lifted his eyes to observe me through a shaded gaze. It drifted up after awhile to watch the fading sky. "Then, taking your financial status into regards, I suppose we'll have to treat you to a-"

I knew what he was about to say. I cut him off. I didn't need a lecture, and I sure as hell didn't need any pity.

"Finances have nothin' to do with it." His eyes dropped right back to mine. "If Mom would open her damn eyes and see that we needed food, she'd work her ass off to make sure there was extra food in the table. But as it is, the truth would crush her. So long as she keeps a roof over Maya's head, we're happy. We can deal with anything else."

There was a long, silent pause. I didn't catch my mistake before he brought it up. "We?"

I bit the inside of my cheek; trying to maintain the attitude I had so recently given him. With that one word, he had broken through my anger. "Yeah, we. Where do you think that bread is?"

As he seemed to so often do, he studied me once more. One last sigh was all it took for him to shove his hands in his pockets. "Then, since you can feed yourself, you can go. We don't have any further business with someone who's only looking out for their family."

I didn't wait for any further comments. I needed to get home- now. Tif would not only be furious, but Mom would be worried sick. The Reapers were the last things on my mind as I feathered out of there.

* * *

"You really going to let her get away, Captain?" The big guy asked, leaning against the side of the building. The Captain's gaze met his, before the woman drew it.

"Yeah, I mean, she's only a kid 'n all, but she almost outran you, Captain. And you're, well, a Captain."

He thought for a minute, eyes lingering on the girl. "No, follow her. Before anything else we need to ascertain the truth of this situation."

"Yes, sir." They both feathered out of the alley, chasing after the girl at their respective paces.

In the dark, the Captain pulled the hand he used to stop her feathering out of his pocket. He could still feel the girl's turbulent Soul Energy lingering there, licking away at his hand as it slowly faded into nonexistence. The girl was one of the fastest he'd ever seen, definitely the fastest if he counted in her age. Her ferocious aura wrapped up around her and snapped like spitfire when she was angry- if she could learn to control it, she could be very powerful. A girl like her needed to be put into training, pronto. Before she ended up hurting somebody. His hand clenched into a fist as the rest of her aura disappeared in wake of his own.

Especially if she really did have a baby sister.

* * *

**And the plot thickens! Dun dun dun!**

**Once more, I'm kind of disappointed that nobody has reviewed yet :/ I know you're out there. Somewhere. I'd really like to hear what you think. So please, don't take me promised weekly updates as an excuse not to review, because that's awfully mean. Updating weekly is out of kindness, not necessity. _Please_ let me know what you think. _Please._  
**


	4. Changing Decisions

**Here's chapter four! I don't own Bleach!

* * *

**It was dark when I reached my house, and I could clearly make out all the lights still on. Mom's form was leaning against the window, searching the darkness for me to come home with a worried expression on her face. I had hidden behind a tree across the street. Nervous, and sure as hell scared, I bit my lip. Tif would be so angry. No, past that. She would be pissed.

Taking one last deep breath, I gathered up my nerves and stepped out from behind the tree. Mother's eyes caught me in an instant, and her form disappeared from the window. As I stepped into our small front lawn, our front door was slammed open. Not mother, not Mason, but a super emotional Tif stood there, glaring at me through the dark. Maya stepped up behind her, catching sight of me in the instant it took to follow her favorite sister. The child let out a squeal of delight, pushing herself onto her feet and running forward. I ducked down, catching her as she ungracefully ran to me with her arms open wide. Another squeal of happiness was followed by giggles as I lifted her into the air, giving her my happiest forced smile before tossing her slightly. She laughed and smiled her toothy smile, and giggled even more as I tucked onto my own small hip, continuing on my way forward into the house. Once inside the yellow-lighted room, I put her down, allowing her to run forward to Tif, who was now sitting at the base of the stairs. Mom and Mason were both sitting on the couch, equal looks of worry on both their faces. I shut the door behind me, walking in front of them and bowing my head.

"Where were you?" Mom asked, not sparring any time for pleasantries. Her concern had melted into something resembling anger, and I shifted under her hot gaze.

"I got lost playing in Yamer." Her lips drew into a thin line as she stared at me. My half lie was just as easily bought as every other one I ever gave her, and with a shifting expression, she nodded.

"Don't do it again." Her words were final, absolute. Sure, I almost wanted to say, I'd be happy to never have to Feather till my legs drop running from a Captain class Reaper. But I didn't say anything, just standing there with my head still bowed as she opened her arms to me. I stepped into her hug, holding her close. Her chest jerked as she started to sniffle, brushing back my wild red curls. "Oh, my baby. I was so worried. So, so worried." Mason patted my back, and I sent him a small smile for the support. After a good moment of relaxing into the safety of my Mom's embrace, she pulled away. "Now, go to bed. It's past Maya's bedtime already, and we should all be asleep."

I nodded, scared now that I'd have to face Tif's wrath, but nonetheless lifting myself from Mom's lap and resigning myself to my fate. Heading to and up the stairs, I took the immediate right into our bedroom, finding her glaring at me from her bed as soon as I walked in. Opening my mouth to speak, I froze as her look sharpened, and she lifted one deadly finger to her mouth. I glanced at the crib, finding Maya sound asleep, before nodding, shutting the door silently behind me. The lights flickered off as I turned off the switch, padding over to my bed and sitting atop it.

"We'll talk about it tomorrow." Tif's whispers came as she tucked herself under her blanket, turning away from me. "You're on baby duty tonight."

I didn't bother responding with how tired I was: this was just the first in a long set of chores she'd no doubt make me do for screwing up so badly. It's not like I was going to sleep anyway that night. As soon as I heard her breathing start to even out, I knew I wasn't catching any Zs. A bad feeling had settled in my stomach, and as I turned to stare out my window, watching the moon cast shadows upon the tree leaves, I figured out why. This time, I clenched my fist; this time I'd definitely hear the name. And the last time I came close, it almost killed Tif. I wouldn't let that happen again. Nobody deserved to suffer because of my idiotic over-imaginative ever-repeating dreams.

* * *

I got up twice from my sitting on the bed that night to take care of a whining Maya, and not once did Tif wake up. The next morning, after Mom and Mason had left for their respective jobs, the both of us got started on the chores. Which for me was to sweep the house, then hang the laundry, while Tif scrubbed the clothes clean in the basin whilst keeping Maya entertained with the ever-floating blocks. Finishing with sweeping earlier than usual, I went ahead and pinned up what Tif had of the laundry before sitting in front of Maya, creating my own blocks and circling them the other way around her. She giggled in joy, clapping her hands.

"Stop, you're disrupting my flow." I didn't, knowing Maya would cry if half of her new toys suddenly disappeared. I told her so. Tif sent me a harsh glare, knowing I spoke the truth, "Just shut up and keep hanging." And with that command, a soaking wet diaper was tossed at me. It splashed into my shoulder, making a frown tug onto my face. Peeling the sopping mess off of me, I squeezed the excess liquid out of it before standing and finding a place on the line to hang it. "While you're at it, take down and fold those sheets."

I sent her a mean look, not liking how she was ordering me around, but knowing I deserved it. Once a good place to hang the cloth diaper was found, I feathered to atop one of the two lines we had, balancing easily as I bent down, removing the wooden clipper and lifting the edge of the tan sheets that we washed two days earlier for Mom and Mason. Stepping across the line like a skilled tightrope walker, I gathered up the sheet as I went. Then, making sure to keep my balance, as the was the hardest part to do so, I tossed the other side of the sheet down in front of me, keeping it from hitting the ground by holding onto the two corners tightly. After that was easy, and I folded the blanket quickly before dropping it into a basket below. The next sheet was done at the same pace, and I glanced over at the blocks floating around Maya, making sure they wouldn't explode and possibly harm my baby sister. Jumping to the ground, I lifted the basket and began to carry it over to Tif, who had more laundry waiting to be hung.

"Did the Reapers ever catch you?" She questioned in Japanese, glancing over to where our neighbor two houses down stepped out onto her back porch for some fresh air.

"Yes." She sent a look that told me to continue. "But after I gave them back the wallet they left." Her lips drew thin, tight. She knew it wasn't all.

"Don't lie to me, Val. What else happened?" Her Japanese was quick and precise, clearly pronounced with no accent to speak of. Mine was the same, and with a shrug, I replied.

"One of them, the only one who could keep up, was a Captain."

"A Captain? How stupid can you get, Val? God, you're such an idiot! I don't know how you manage half the things you do!" Just as I knew she would, she blew up. Anger like spitfire lashed out at me through her words, causing me to wince more than once. Just then, though, right after her rant, Maya did something.

"Ou-nay-cha!" She suddenly burbled, bright smile on her face. "Onee-cha!"

A moment of silent shock passed between the two of us as Maya giggled. We were so stunned; no anger was sapped right out of the both of us. I rushed over to my sibling, dropping to my knees in front of her as Tif climbed over the basin to sit by her side.

"-chan! Chan. Nnnn. Nnnnn. Ou-nay-channn. Onee-chan." I spoke to her, trying to get her to say it properly. She giggled, clapping her hands in front of my face as she sputtered out her rendition of the words again.

"Onee-cha!" A smile broke out on both of our faces as we couldn't help but be proud of our younger sister. Her first word, and it was in reference to us. Tif picked her up, bad mood dissipating as she tossed the babe into the air.

"Good job Maya! You're so smart!" The next part she added in Japanese: "Yes, yes! Onee-chan! I'm your onee-chan!" Maya kept squealing the word, smile growing brighter and brighter as she liked the way it sounded. Her first word. We both beamed at each other before turning to our little sister. Her first word. After almost three agonizing years of trying to get her to say something, anything, she had finally come through. Despite our arguing, this little word had saved our entire day. That one, single word, in reference to us.

* * *

"One vanilla cone, please." I told the vendor, handing him the money. Currently, I was doing my own small celebration in light of the day's turn of events. Tif had suggested we go show Mom what Maya was saying, but after about three seconds of their gushing over the baby, I started to feel stuffy in the crowded restaurant: people had started not only to stare, but come over and see what the fuss was. As such, I got permission from Mom to head back home, picked a pocket of some random rich looking guy, and was now buying myself an ice cream. "Thank you." I replied respectfully as I took the cone from him, heading over to a nearby bench out of the way of people's traffic. There were no cars in districts like ours, thankfully. Everything was within walking distance. I took a small bite of my delicious, mouthwatering ice cream as I settled into people watching. The fat ones were always the funniest to watch- more specifically; people's reactions to fat ones were the funniest to watch. A sneer in the middle of a sentence could make a person look like a roaring tiger or a gapping hippo instead of the human souls they were.

"What's the occasion?" An all-too familiar voice said as the bench area to my right creaked. I jumped, pulled from my trance as the Captain feathered in to sit beside me, smiling welcomingly. As much as my instincts told me to skedaddle, I stayed put, knowing he'd be able to catch up with me. I swallowed, thinking over his question. I didn't get what he meant till he saw my confused expression and clarified. With a motion of his hand to the ice cream cone, he began again, "I didn't take you as the type to splurge for no reason."

I shrugged, looking away from him and back at the crowd. "My baby sis said her first word. It was the one I taught her." His navy eyes widened a bit in shock at the large coincidence of her saying such a thing right after we first met, before a small smile took his features once more. He did that a lot, I was beginning to notice. Smile in that sort of way.

"How cute, what did she say?"

"Older sister." Catching his sudden confusion, I added the next part. "In Japanese its one word, not including the honorific, which she slightly messed up on." He nodded in understanding, looking out to the crowd himself before tracing my line of sight to the one rather obese person attempting to buy a fur coat. He was two dollars short for his own size.

"What are you watching him for?" He asked, knowing where my gaze was.

"Fun. Watch the shopkeeper's expression. With that disgusted twitch in his lip, the crane in his neck, and his really pink skin, he looks like a fat flamingo trying to persuade an elephant to buy a mouse size coat." The Captain laughed softly at my description, seeing it himself. A small smile grew on my face as I continued on with my ice cream; I could do this all day.

"That's quite observant of you. I would've just thought him angry." His comment made me shrug.

"My sisters better. Though she doesn't put in the animal stuff, she's better with all that observation stuff."

"How old are the two of you?" I fell silent at his question. When he thought I wouldn't answer, I finally figured out the calculations. Math was never my strong point.

"Maya's three in a half, so that makes me eleven or twelve, and Tif thirteen or fourteen." A shocked look came onto his face. I furrowed my brows at it, but ignored it. What, did Reapers keep exact track of their age? All I remember was how old I was when I died, and how many years that it's been for Maya.

"And how long have you known how to Feather?"

"Three of four months. Why all the questions about time?" He seemed taken aback by something I said. Whether it was my statement or my question, I'd probably never know.

"Oh, my. In another year you'll probably outrun me." He didn't answer my question, but I pursed my lips with a shrug and let it drop. I had a lot of practice. His next statement caught even more off guard. "You age fast for a soul."

My brows furrowed even deeper: what was he talking about? I was still stuck in my ten-year old body. What, did he think I was born here? "I died looking exactly like this, so I don't think that's quite right."

"Oh, I'm sorry. I was under the impression you were born here." His apology was well meant, but I kept my eyes trained on the crowd. A small moment of silence passed between us, and I was just starting on the cone of my ice cream when he spoke again. "If you don't mind me asking, how did you die?"

"Hollow." Came my immediate response. To say he froze wouldn't be quite right, it was more like he was expecting the answer, but still shocked to hear it. "It attacked us when we were in the car, and everybody died in the crash." It was much easier to talk about it now than it was when I first came here. Time really did have a way of easing all wounds.

"Do you know who it was after?"

"Me, probably. It was about to eat me when one of you guys showed up. I didn't know I was dead until I arrived at the Waiting Place." I paused, remembering the day all too well. The sad, tearful look the Reaper held when he sent me away with the hilt of his sword was still fresh in my mind. "I think he was too sad to break the news to me." A real silence enveloped the two of us then. He broke it with a saddened expression.

"I'm sorry." I shrugged, brushing him off. Death was a normal occurrence. It happened to everyone, everywhere. Even here people died, though where we went was still as big a mystery as where we went after the Living World was when I was still alive.

"Don't be. The only thing that's really changed between the last couple years living and the year or so I've been here is the fact that normal people aren't hungry." He stopped, looking at me with a serious eye.

"You don't have to steal for food, you know." His statement caught my attention, and I turned my head to watch him as he spoke. "If you join the Academy, you get free meals every day. And training, too. Those dreams will go away."

A frown tugged on my face. "I can't leave Maya. And besides, how do you know about the dreams?"

"I know the reason you've got bags under your eyes is because you're afraid of having them." He stated, making my eyes go wide. "It's not abnormal for a person with high Soul Energy to get dreams like that. It usually only happens in adults though, and for the longest a week before they get a grasp on their Second Soul Name, and can use their powers. You're a very unique case, due to your age, but the signs are still the same. You should go to the Academy, it'll help you." I spied my Mom exiting the restaurant she was working at, a baby Maya on her hip. Tif was at her side, looking around for me. Seeing that Mom got the rest of the day off, I quickly began to hide my celebration. Hastily I dropped my cone to the ground, scooting it under the bench with one swift kick. The Captain's brows furrowed at my odd behavior, watching me as I stood up off the bench.

"I told you, I can't leave Maya." And with that last statement to him, I ducked into the crowds, worming my way through them and heading over to my family.

* * *

My decision had been solid when I said it, and unbreakable for the entire week after. But after that week, the dream came again, more vivid than ever, and even as I slept on the roof, it still affected Mom. Her screams woke everyone up, even me. After that, I started asking around about this Academy. Even if I did provide for Maya, something told me that she would be the next one hurt by these dreams. I couldn't let that happen. Me staying was currently putting her in more danger than me leaving. Tif wasn't very understanding.

"You do realize what you're doing, right?" She asked; fist clenched as she glared at me when I broke the news about my recent train of thought. "You're abandoning us. Abandoning her!" Her finger thrust forth at Maya, who glanced between the two of us with a worried expression. As guilty as I felt about leaving the two of them, each night I grew more and more certain of my decision. I slept under a tree in the backyard, the farthest I could be away from the house to still be close should somebody come knocking in my room late at night. The more information I got about this Academy, too, the better a place it sounded. I almost asked Tif to come with me, but that would be leaving Maya with Mom, and we both knew the baby wouldn't last a week.

The Academy was exactly that: an Academy for those gifted with Soul Energy. With free meals and housing served to all those who make it past the entrance exam, it was the place to be for the spiritually adept. Though mostly rich people went there, they did have an open doors policy, allowing anyone to take the exam. And it was based solely off your exam scores as to which classes you were put into: the advanced, the on level, or the slow. Those who were just looking for a place to eat and a bed for sleep and weren't serious at all were kicked out. After five to six years of instruction (five for the on level and advanced, six for the slow), they put your name on a register for the Captains to choose who they want in their Squads. If, of course, a Captain hasn't personally requested you, which was rare, but happened. Classes started in August and lasted throughout June. One uniform was given, but others had to be purchased. There were on-campus student-run necessities and activities. The Academy itself was right outside of Soul City, to the East. It seemed almost perfect. An ideal place to live. It was spring when I met the Captain, and after a month of iffy deliberation, I had finally made my mind up. I would go to the Academy.

I would abandon my baby sister to save her life.

* * *

**And thus, the plot begins! Mwuahahaha :] I've got a lot in store for Miss Vallery here, so I hope you guys stick around to read it all! Now that I think about it, this story is going to be longer than I originally planned :p From here on out, or for a good number of chapters at least, things will be moving pretty fast. Expect a lot of time skips in the near future.**

**This paragraph will be reserved for the names of those who review. Which has been none up to this point, so this paragraph is pretty much pointless, except to inform you that you will get a shout-out if you happen to tell me what you think. Blah. I hate being formal like this, but you guys are leaving me no choice. In any case, I hope you like the story so far.**

**See you next week! PLEASE REVIEW!  
**


	5. A New Start

**And FINALLY, the real story begins! I don't own Bleach!

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**"Mom, I love you." I told her as I watched her knitting. She had taken it up sometime ago as something to do with how much downtime she had. Of course, I had a reason I was telling her this. She wouldn't have guessed it though. I was leaving in the morning for the Academy, having finally collected enough money for the trip (and then some, I'm pretty sure the citizens of Yamer would forever hate me). My bag was already packed, and I had made sure to teach a very pissy and stubborn Tif the basics of Feathering.

"Why, I love you too sweetheart." She beamed at me before going back to her handiwork, becoming trapped in her thoughts again. Mason had proposed a week ago, and they were scheduled to be married in four months. She was no doubt scoping everything out in her head. I was a bit disappointed that I couldn't be there, but at the very least, Maya would have a Dad.

When morning came, before anybody else woke up, I slipped out of the house silently. Shutting the door behind me and taking one last look at my home, I Feathered myself far, far away.

* * *

"Oh my God, look at them!"

"They're so dirty! Can't they even bathe?"

"What a bunch of losers."

"Look, one of them even brought their kid."

"Poor thing, being raised by such animals."

It was the famed rich kids talking; grouped together on one side of the open clearing everyone was standing in. The more middle-class people, who were totaled to about twenty, stood between us. It didn't seem to stop the richies from looking around the small group to the even smaller group of poor people. If it was any indication as to why we were grouped such ways, our district number separated us into who we stood with. 80 to 150 stood in our small circle, which totaled about eleven people. The middles held numbers 40 through 79, and the richies, who totaled to a very large group not worth counting, came from districts 1 through 39, along with Soul City inhabitants. The 'kid' those stuck up assholes were referring to was, without a doubt, me. Not only was I the only one looking younger than the age of 15, but also I was probably the only one actually looking close to their real age (stupid slowed aging, again). When I gave the people at the sign up desks my information, they sighed and nodded, with depressed looks on their faces as they handed me my ticket that would give me entrance to an exam room. As if this wasn't the first time they saw a poor kid like me coming to them, as if I was going to fail the test.

That wasn't going to happen.

I read every single book concerned with the Academy entrance exam twice, and had memorized everything from the index to the bibliography, which I referenced as well. I could write a book about half the things I had crammed up in my brain, random facts that were sure to be on the test. There was no way I was going to fail this after going through all that trouble. Returning to Tif and Maya a sore loser was not an option.

"Hey, kid. You sure you want to be here? This isn't a playground, you know." One of the older guys in my group, looking to be about twenty-seven, was almost as annoying as those rich kids. He had a kind look about his sharp, but broken features. With a bent nose that I'm sure had been broken more than once he was almost pitiable.

"Its here or nowhere." I stated, being completely serious. Another in my group completely sympathized.

"Ain't that the truth." He stated, rolling his eyes at the heightened gossip. Since nobody asked me if I had a home to go to, I could assume they thought I was just like them: homeless, and scrounging for a meal.

"Those rich kids sure as hell have it easy." One woman said, eying the group with distaste. "Bet'cha Mommy and Daddy are both Reapers of half of them. Rest of 'em noble's kids."

"That's not ob-" Someone, maybe a fifth year student, walking on the large wooden platform, interrupted the next guy's talking. Not a soul in the area continued to speak as he lifted the microphone to his lips, getting ready to greet us to the exam.

"Welcome, souls all!" He spoke, shooting a very fake smile at all of us as he looked over the groups. "I'm sorry to say that half of you probably won't make it past the exam, but as to the other half, I look forward to greeting you into the Academy as a fellow student! As you well know, the Academy is a mere stepping stone in your long life's journey as you travel to become a well trained, battle ready Reaper! I can only hope you have all prepared yourselves for what lies ahead. Without further adieu, we shall soon begin the entrance exam! Please take a look at your tickets! Numbers 1-50, please group up around Missy!" He motioned to a girl that looked to be about his age, and wore the same uniform as him. She raised her hand, and with one last glance at my ticket (my number was 35), I started walking over the girl. Forty-nine other people did the same, clustering in front of her as she took a scan of the crowd. Her eyes lingered on me for a second, pity filling them as I stood on the edge of the group, before she went back to her duty.

"Follow me, please! We will be heading to Exam room number one!"

* * *

The exam was divided into two parts: general knowledge, and personal knowledge. The personal knowledge part was only looked at as a starting point for each of us, and it wouldn't be graded. The general knowledge wasn't so general, it seemed, as many of the other applicants got stuck a few too many times. Two questions were all I had to guess on (so I used my gut), the rest I had either studied about, or could use the process of elimination on. The personal knowledge came after that, with it's own separate package. I filled everything out, pencil scratches flying across my paper. More than once I caught someone trying to cheat off me, and I shifted my body to block them from seeing. I was almost done when a small piece of paper landed on my desk, tossed from the person directly behind me. I grabbed it before the Procter could think I was cheating, and hid it in my sleeve until they had turned around. Then, suspicious as to why someone would bother me -who stood out so much as to be condemned- I slipped open the paper. In neat but flowery handwriting, a message was written.

_'hey, you're a genius, right? What's the answer to 46, g.k.?'_

I pursed my lips, unsure of whether to respond or not. Cheating could get you thrown out, and your exam scores trashed. Curious to see just who would risk so much, I glanced over my shoulder. A pretty girl with pale skin a brown hair tied up in a messy bun grinned at me when she caught my eye, folding her hands in front of her and giving me massive puppy dog eyes. I couldn't help the small smile grow on my face, recognizing her as one of the middle class groupies who had sneered at the richies (which wasn't many, but being so obvious about sharing an enemy with the poor had quickly earned respect). Turning back to my own desk, I quickly finished the last sentence of my final personal knowledge answer. Then, I pretended to flip through my general knowledge packet, checking all of my answers. Out of sight from the Procter, I scratched the answer on the paper and tossed it back to her. I could feel her silently catch it before it made any noise on her desk. Looking over the rest of my answers, I noticed a few spelling mistakes here and there. After correcting them, I stood and collected my things, walking up to the Procter's desk and handing them to her.

"Thank you. The results will be posted in a week in the Academy Square upon the standing register list. You should see other people there, waiting to give those who pass their supplies." She said with an ounce of pity in her gaze. I was the first one done, and with a nod and a faked smile, I left the room.

* * *

Sure enough, one week later, the results were posted. Other people crowded around the list, making it impossible to see. More than a few had burst into tears, other walked away dejectedly. As I squirmed through the group, pushing just as much as I was pushed, I finally made it to the front of the crowd. I lifted my finger to where the on level placement was, certain I'd find my name there. I could only see half the list, however, past the glare of the sun and my horrible height.

"And, up!" My stomach dropped as I felt someone lift me into the air, strong and large hands wrapped around my waist. Quickly I grabbed onto their fingers, about to panic when I was sat on the big guy's shoulders. A very familiar jogging suit stood below me. "Can't have a little Miss like yourself being hurt by the crowd now."

"Mr. Bill!" I laughed, happy to see him. "What are you doing here?"

"Just passin' through the neighborhood when I saw you needed a bit of help." He grinned up at me.

"Well, thank you very much!" I sported, patting the top of his head.

"Not a problem at all little lady! Now, let's see what we have here. Tell you what, Miss Vallery, you search the high names, and I'll search the low ones." He offered, making a very nice vantage point.

"That would be amazing! Thank you again!" He blushed, just like I remembered him doing so many times in the Waiting Place, before I set to finding my name. People, seeing Bill's size, kept a good distance from him as they attempted to find their own name on the list. Since it was at the very top, I searched the advanced placement group before anything else. Steadily my eyes went over every name, not wanting to make a mistake and accidentally miss mine (should it be on there, which I doubted, as I wasn't advanced material). My jaw dropped as I leaned forward, making Bill duck his head with a 'ho, there, little lady!', before I stuck my finger at my name, tracing the line to my score, and then to the number of questions I'd missed. One question missed. Near perfect score. To the left, my name read in very clear print: 'Vallery Wilkenson'.

"Oh my God… I got into advanced." My statement made Bill look to where I was pointing, a confused look on his face before he read the name I pointed to, wherein he laughed his jolly laugh. His strong arms picked me up by my waist, up and over his head and back to the ground before him.

"Congratulations Miss Vallery! That's quite an accomplishment!" He lifted his hand before my face, and I ecstatically high-fived it, a grin rivaling the size of my forehead placed firmly upon my cheeks. With a laugh, he directed me out of the crowd, where people rushed in to fill the massive spot of his. "Now, I'm sorry I can't stay and celebrate, but I really must be leaving. Important business and all for my boss."

"Aw…" My face fell, and I could see he was more torn up about it than me. Attempting a smile, I nodded up at him. "Well, at least it's good to see you! Thank you for your help!"

"No problem at all, Miss Vallery. I hope you do well here." He ruffled my hair, and I didn't bother pulling away. He was who he was, and it was good to see him. His cheery optimism would be missed, though. After giving each other one last smile, he turned off to the side, starting up in a jog as he left the Academy Square. It didn't hit me that I could've found out about his job with one simple question until he had left the building entirely. With a sigh at seeing my friend go, I began to make my way over to the table that held a sign above it reading out 'Advanced Group Info'. As I approached, the two fifth years glanced at each other with unsure looks.

"Name?" They asked as I reached the table, one of them lifting up and clipboard and the other starting to shuffle through a box at his feet.

"Vallery Wilkenson." I stated. The guys shuffling through the box swore loudly, causing the other to hit him on the back of the head.

"Hey! Watch your mouth!" He snapped at the other, who looked back and made a face at the clipboard guy. The fellow responded with sticking out his tongue before going back to the clipboard, searching for my name. When he found it, he checked something off. "Wow, perfect score. Never seen one of those before."

I shook my head, correcting him, "I missed a question. It wasn't perfect." The one searching through the box finally sat up, holding now a packet, a brochure of the campus, and a set of room keys, all stacked on top of each other neatly. He handed them to me with a smile, one that I returned.

"You do know that they always put one question in with no right answer, right?" The clipboard guy asked, and I shook my head. Why would they do that? It was terribly disappointing. Another thought hit me- with just my luck, that question would've been number 46. A smile came to the clipboard guys face. "Well, they do. Anyway, I'm Jerrod and this is Chase. We're coming up fifth years, so if you need anything, come to us."

Chase grinned, "Oh, and your room's in that building way over there." He stretched across the table, leaning slightly up as I turned to look where he was pointing. "Second floor, room number 2459. Hope you enjoy it, your roommate should be there already."

"Okay! Thank you both!" I beamed at both of them, turning away and starting to jog to my building. I could catch a few things they said as I ran.

"Damn man, that kid is young! Are you sure her scores are right?"

"I know! I even double-checked it, making sure I traced the line right! She's got to be some sort of genius or something…"

"Wouldn't doubt it."

"Hey- did you…" I couldn't hear anymore after that, and I bit my lip to hold back a smile. They didn't criticize my looking so poor. They were nice people. So far, everyone I had met here were nice people. With a little skip in my step, I feathered to my building.

* * *

"Um, this is room 2459, right?" I asked, peeking into the already open door.

"Sure is!" A girl with straight brown hair said, picking up things in a box and setting it all on the right side of the room. "You must be my new- gah! Genius girl!"

I blinked in recognition as I realized just whom I would be rooming with for the next five years of my life. "Cheater girl!" I gasped, and we both paused to stare at each other. As I said, she had straight brown hair, leaning in around her neck and flowing down to her mid-back. A pair of murky green eyes that were a bit too large for her face stared at me in the same shocked manner I stared at her. A mouth that looked like it scowled only half as much as it smiled stretched back into a grin.

"Well hell! What a coincidence!" She burst into laughter, hands on her hips as she arched her back while roaring away. I smiled, shutting the door to the hall behind me as I stepped inside the room. The walls were a grayish white, and the floor was carpeted with a fluffy tan color. Dressers we pushed up against the same wall that held the door, matching in their dark wooden color. Two beds were pressed against the walls of the decent sized room, one to the left, and one to the right. With a desk each crammed against the wall to the back of the room, the bricks that held them also gave way to a big, arched window that held a seat as it jutted out from the wall. The sheets were a victory red on both beds, and spaces of the right side wall (which it seemed she had already claimed) had been filled with posters of living world rock bands and a small redwood frame of her family. All in all, it was rather cozy and bland, despite the bed's shocking colors. "I'm Melanie Dethredal, by the way. But if you don't want to call me that, I'm fine with 'Mel' or 'Cheater Girl'."

"Ah." I nodded, holding out my hand for her to shake, which she did. "I'm Vallery Wilkenson, but Val is just fine."

Her brows furrowed when she saw all that I carried was my small, over the shoulder bag. "Cool, then where's all your stuff, Val? It too much for you to carry by yourself, 'cause I can help if ya want?"

I shook my head, shifting awkwardly. With a motion to my bag, I went and sat on my bed, finding it reasonable soft. "This is all I need."

Her eyes went wide when she recognized her mistake, "Oh! I'm so sorry! I didn't know! Oh, wow. I'm such a bitch…"

I laughed softly, seeing that we'd get along pretty well in the future. With a drop of my bag onto my bed, I waved her off. "Nah, it's cool. But hey, do you know where we can pick our uniforms up at?" I motioned to the packet I had received, "It didn't say."

"I think we're supposed to go get them at the infirmary, that way they can take our measurements 'n all and we won't be embarrassed." She scrunched her face as she tried to remember, ending her statement with a shrug. "I don't see why someone would be embarrassed, but hey, it's their bodies. No offense 'n all, but I'm pretty sure they're just going to give you a small in everything."

"Yeah," I laughed shortly, "you got that right."

And so they did. When we arrived at the infirmary (which was all white-wash and huge, with a good fifty spotless beds all surrounded by partitioning curtains) the measurement girl took one good glance at me before handing me extra smalls in both a white button up shirt and red slacks.

"Those are for your indoor classes." She turned away from me, handing me now a small white tee and a pair of extra small shorts. "These are for your outdoor classes. How many pairs of what would you like to purchase? Five dollars per article." I had managed to save up one hundred dollars for the trip and enrollment, seventy-eight of that was left.

"Um, two more shorts, two more slacks, three button ups and three tees, please." I said, doing the math in my head. She nodded, turning away to go look for more of my sized clothing as I set the clothes on a nearby bed, digging into my jean pocket and pulling out my coin purse. By the time she stacked everything up (and put it in a large paper bag, bless her), I had counted out fifty dollars and handed it to her with a smile. She smiled right back, shooing me off as she began to work with someone who actually needed to be measured.

"What took ya so long?" Mel asked, pushing off her back as she stood from leaning against the wall just outside the nursery.

"She had to hunt for extra smalls in everything- I think she couldn't find enough, so she gave me plain small tees." Mel laughed at my situation, swinging her own bag happily as we began our way back to our room.

* * *

**Enter the Mel Machine! :D She, unlike many other OCs, happens to be pretty important, so please try to remember her image :] Lol, without Mel, I'm pretty sure I'd have no story, that's how much she affects our little Miss Val :] Oh! And Bill. You might want to write down Bill. Buuuut, that's a long ways from now. Gayh! I'm just so excited! She's FINALLY onto the main plotline! Finally! Well... kinda. What I mean is, things will definitely be mostly plot from here on out. But of course, I can't just breeze over her Academy Years like nothing happens: in reality, most Everything starts in her Academy Years. She learns a lot about Reapers (Shinigami by extension) and their ways. I just can't wait! WOOT!**

**And you know what's gotten me into such a good mood about all this? The two AWESOME people that reviewed last week! xXSweetestXAngelXNightmareXx and Alykon, thank you two so very, very much! I had thought that nobody would ever give me a review for this story, and had just about lost all hope when I saw what you two did! You've put the excitement back into writing this story! Thank you very, very much! *Bows repeatedly*  
**

**That's just about it for this week, then. See you next Wednesday! PLEASE REVIEW!  
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	6. Hi, My Name is

**I am so seriously sorry for the late update! I'll explain later, down below. I don't own Bleach!

* * *

**"Good Morning sleepyhead!" Mel sang, flouncing onto my bed with a huge grin plastered on her face. Past my groggy delirium, I managed to make out the fact that she was wearing her button up uniform. It took me a good three seconds of staring to figure out why.

"Are we late?" I asked, knowing we'd be screwed for the rest of the year if we made a bad first impression.

"Nope!" She beamed. "I was the first one at the showers, too!"

"What time did you get up?" I asked, pushing myself from my back to my butt as I sat up. It had been the same dream as usual, but thankfully, Mel hadn't been affected by it in any way.

"Four!" She chirped, causing me to sweatdrop. Of course. I should've been expecting that.

"What time is it now?" I asked suspiciously, eying the window. It was still dark out, much to her credit.

"Five thirty! I figured since breakfast is at six thirty we mind as well get you up now!" I nodded, not finding it too unreasonable. "I'd hurry to the showers, though. I think it'll be getting pretty crowded pretty quick."

Grunting my appreciation of her concern, I pulled myself out of bed, not bothering with making it as I walked around her, over to my dresser. Seeing as it was encouraged, we had picked up our schedules the day after we arrived and had been staying at the school campus for the past week, exploring it so that we wouldn't get lost. Finally, the first day was today. Our school bags had been dropped off at our door yesterday morning, and we spent the whole day hitting the different stores on campus gathering supplies. Which mostly consisted of a ton of paper and at least a thousand pens. Squatting in front of my dresser, I pulled out a folded pair of red slacks and a crisp white button up, as was uniform. The ties, thankfully, had come in late and were now optional this year. However, between buying myself a few pairs of underwear and a new pair of shoes, I was now nearing broke with ten dollars to my name. Good news, however, came when I found out that Reapers, when having a seated rank, were paid. Grabbing my underwear and shoes (guess what? brown moccasins were the only thing in stock), I folded all my clothes together and began my way to the showers; Mel following behind, as was her habit. I had found out that only half the fifth years were able to feather by the end of their time here, so I kept doing it to a minimum so I wouldn't stand out even more. Considering they served breakfast and dinner throughout their month of break time, I was used to getting up at the hours Mel often woke me up at. She was like a perfectly tuned alarm clock, always-chipper sounding and right on the dot. She could look at the sun and tell the exact time, down to the minute. It was that scary. After the shower, breakfast was the usual toast and cereal, served up with a glass of orange juice that made my throat sort of scratchy. Every time I ate I wondered about Maya and Tif, hoping they were okay, and doing the same. But then again, Tif was a strong girl, with ice for blood and an iron heart. She would do whatever it took to give Maya a full stomach every night.

"Second years should be reminded that arriving promptly to class is not an option! Is NOT an option!" A loud, booming voice came over the speakers, making many of the students laugh. It was a friendly enough place, the Academy. As long as you hung out with the right people, that is. Snobs were around every corner, just waiting to prey on the weak. Lucky enough, Mel, my only close friend, was good company.

"You'd think after a year of being here they wouldn't slack off like that." Mal muttered, taking another bite of her cereal. I shrugged.

"I think they get too comfortable." She tilted her head from side to side, seeing it my way. A bell rang as the clock hit seven, telling everyone that classes started in thirty minutes. With that bell, I parted with Mel, knowing I'd see her after lunch.

* * *

"Out of all the after-life governments, America's is one of the newest. Standing testament to only six centuries of justice, perseverance, and hard work, we are a pillar for any political system: providing help to any ally when needed and constantly revisiting our own laws to ensure they are up to date and not holding ourselves back from the future." The Professor began as he lectured from the front of the room. This was my second period class; there being six in a day. Three before lunch, all classroom settings, and three after, all field settings. I had my last three classes with Mel, thankfully. People, so far, have just about completely avoided me. The only time I was spoken to was to be questioned if I knew where our Professor was at in first period. He had showed up during the last ten minutes, handing out a syllabus for his course before collapsing at his desk and dozing off. This second period professor seemed to be much more timely, not to mention awake. "Who knows who our closest allies are?"

The class had no clue. I knew that because I had no clue. And even in advanced, we don't know something we haven't learned. So far for notes, all I had written down was that America was six centuries old. The Professor sighed, seeing nobody raise his or her hand. "Japan. Japan's Soul Society is our closest ally. Second is England, and our worst is China. Negotiations there are strained at best. Does anybody know a language outside of English?"

A few people raised their hands, including me. The Professor looked to each of us in turn, a smile ghosting upon his face at the number. "Good. More than last year. You'll find that knowing a second language, any language, is particularly useful. Especially with the coming Centennial Celebration being held here for the first time, we'll want to impress our guests."

A hand raised somewhere in the back, and the Professor nodded to the student to ask their question, "The Centennial Celebration, sir?"

The Professor beamed, nodding. "Yes, the Centennial Celebration. As it's name suggests, it is held every hundred years in a randomly chosen country. Every Captain and Lieutenant of every country that we are allied with visits the hosting country to size each other up, per say. And that happens through a highly professionalized series of matches between our allied countries and us. It's more than one big brawl, though. Trades and negotiations are put under way, and ties between countries are broken or bonded. There are events, celebrations, and activities held by the host country for its guests. It's to spread culture, knowledge, and ideas! This coming Centennial Celebration is being hosted by America, us. I hope you take that to heart next year, when you have the option to take a foreign language class."

* * *

After lunch and a twenty-minute break to go to our dorms and change, Mel and I met up and headed to the track, where our first field class was meeting. This class was supposed to be for basic skills, but a test was put up today: to check our current speed and abilities. Hence why we met at the black tar track, everybody looking quite nervous and out of sorts. I probably looked the oddest though, given my tee was a small, and still went down to mid thigh, which was lower than my shorts. Mel and I were among the first to arrive, and seeing the huge track filled with an assortment of obstacles and traps, we started stretching right away. The others that followed thought it a good idea, and that was how the Teacher caught us as she approached the track. Wearing a pair of gray sweats and a plain white tee with a whistle hung around her head and a baseball cap shading her eyes, she looked pretty young compared to the in class teachers I had.

"Well," She grinned when she saw the lot of us, "you're starting off better than the other classes. They didn't think they'd need to stretch." Mel and I shared a look of panic, taking that for the worst it could mean. "Alright now! Listen up everyone! I'll explain the rules to ya now so we don't waste any time! What you're basically going to be doing is an obstacle course! Of course, this isn't an ordinary obstacle course, hence the nurses on standbye." She motioned to two women wearing all white who stood a small distance away. They waved with kind, well-wishing smiles. "Everything about this course is meant to test a certain aspect of your skills! It will be up until the semester is out, when we shall retest using it! I suggest you come by another time and practice! A little hint: that was not a suggestion! Now, some of you punks are worried, to that I say: good! The rest of you need to get worried! This isn't something you can breeze past! Even the best of might feint! Now onto the actual rules! Anything is allowed as long as you complete each obstacle! You heard me right- anything! Pushing, shoving, biting, hair pulling, kicking and screaming included, but it's not just limited to that! So I suggest that if you want to get an A in this class, you get smart! Cheating won't be allowed in your mid-term!" She finally took a breath, making everyone in the class sweatdrop. Not only did she condone cheating, she could fit the most words into one breath out of anyone I'd ever heard. A very weird teacher. "I don't suggest you form groups, either! They will turn on you! Your grade of the day depends on your speed through the course! On three! One!"

It took us the first second to realize what she was saying. Everybody was up at once, scrambling to get behind the starting line. Being so small, I was forced into the back of the group by my bigger classmates.

"Two!"

People started to brace themselves, grins on their faces. Mel herself was getting rather worked up for this, her competitive spirit spiking.

"Three!"

Completely on cue, the very front of the group stepped forward, exactly in time with everyone else. The difference, however, was that not everyone else had a tripwire in front of them. The entire group at the front tripped and fell, causing those behind them to fall as well. Figuring she said anything goes, I started off, stepping on my classmates as I ran forward. More than one of them cursed as they struggled to get up. I didn't have to look anywhere to figure out that others had taken my idea and ran with it. Literally.

The next obstacle (tripwire being first) was a jump across mud and onto a rock wall, etched with places to hold onto. I took the leap, landing high enough on the wall to only need three notches before I could pull myself over the edge. I stopped before I took the jump, hesitating at the other area of mud I would no doubt fall into. The rock wall scratched as someone behind me landed on it, and without much further debate, I pushed myself into the three-inch deep mud, slipping and falling, as was expected. With a grunt, I pushed myself out of the mud zone, speeding forward to the next obstacle: monkey bars over a pit of sand. One shift of my gut told me there were monkey bars for a reason, and I quickly leapt again, gripping onto the first of the bars and tucking my legs up so the scorpions didn't get me. The guy who was right after me wasn't so smart, and screamed as I reached halfway and he stepped directly onto a scorpion. It wasn't much longer before I was able to swing off the bars and onto the track below, glaring, but not stopping, at the next obstacle.

Cars tires stretched like latticework for a good quarter of the curved track. The black rubber wheels reminded me of the hated object, and it was with that heat of passion I was able to quickly double-time the stupid things. My short legs, however, were doing me little good as two boys passed me during this time. After this we were jumping over different height bars, which one guy didn't see, and ran straight into one his height, slamming him down on his back. I hopped over the first, third and last ones, the rest being able to duck under. There was only one guy in front of me now, and he seemed to be having a great lead. The last part was a straight run back to the starting line. Pushing my legs as fast as they would go without using Feather, I was able to overtake him thirty feet from the finish line. Griting my teeth, I was barely able to keep my lead as I finally crossed the white line. Once there, I stumbled to a stop, chest heaving as I gasped for breathes. The coach jogged up to us, giving the guy who crossed right as I was able to finally stop myself a high five and me, who was still bent over and panting, a low five.

"Good job you two! Now just beat that in December, and you'll get an A for sure!"

I rolled my eyes, slamming onto my butt at the prospect of having to do that even faster. Swallowing my saliva, I wiped my face clean of sweat and scooted off the track, which other people were starting to cross. One of the nurses came up to me, giving me a small cup of water and a smile. I gave the smile back, but took the water from her and tried to quench my ever-growing thirst.

* * *

"That's so not fair, Val! I can't believe you! How come you never told me you could Feather? I totally would've asked you to teach me!" I shifted uncomfortably, catching glares of the other muddied students in our previous class. Mel saw this, and shot them glares right back. They sneered and looked away, and my friend patted me on the shoulder. "Ah, well. Never mind those pricks. They're just jealous 'n all, ya know."

"Yeah," I nodded as we went inside a small building, standing with a few other people from my past class and a lot of new people, "I know." We took our seats in two of the many chairs that lined the edges of the room, waiting patiently for our teacher to come in with the rest of the class.

"So, what other weird shit can ya do?" She asked, leaning down and whispering to me. I shrugged.

"I didn't know Feathering was weird until I heard only half the fifth years can do it. You'll have to be the one to tell me what's weird and what's not." I told her, whispering right back. She shook her head laughing lightly for some reason I didn't understand.

"Did you see the way she ran? That's so not normal." We caught one girl say as she sat in the corner of the room. I tucked a few muddied red curls that had made their way out of my ponytail behind my ear, feeling very nervous all of a sudden. What if nobody but Mel liked me? What if Mel stopped being my friend? My thoughts were interrupted by a loud, booming voice.

"Alright you freshies! My names Lawrence, all of you will be calling me Mr. Law from now on! Now listen up!" The voice came from a doorway, which snapped shut behind a man wearing blue gym shorts, like the boy's uniform, and a grey tee, like my previous instructor. He also had a whistle around his neck, and wore a baseball cap. "My basic goal this year is to get you guys prepared to find and use your Second Soul. If you don't know what a Second Soul is, raise your hand." Just about everyone in the room raised their hand. He sighed, grabbing a nearby chair and spinning it around so he could sit in it backwards and fold his arms across it's back. "Alright, I'll start from the beginning. You're Second Soul is precisely that, a second part of your soul that will grow and get stronger with you. It takes the form of a weapon, which you will use as a Reaper in every battle you perform. They are you, and a part of you. It's rare, but some of you may be close to achieving yours already. If that's true, then come see me after class, I'll have you put in a different class."

"Sir, how can you tell if you're close?" A student asked, a perplexed look on his face.

"Well, the dreams, of course! Your Second Soul will come to you, trying to tell you it's name. Whether or not you hear it depends on how much you accept yourself, and thus, accept it. It's your own blindness that keeps you from seeing, per say, your ignorance from learning. If you start to get the dreams, come to me, or one of your other instructors. We'll help you out, because they can be quite stressful."

"But how do you accept yourself?" I asked this time, and silence befell the room. I needed to know. I had to learn my Second Soul's name. The dreams had gone on for far too long now. The instructor shrugged, breaking the tension.

"Only you can figure that out. Now, Second Souls differ from person to person. A lot. Extreme differences can be seen from culture to culture. Like in China, they say almost everybody's Second Soul takes the shape of a fan. Whether or not that's true, we'll have to see, but it's just a rumor. Here in America, most of you will have yours take the shape of something easy to carry around. Like, a necklace or something. Nobody knows why it's so different from region to region, but it is, so accept it. After you get your Second Soul, you'll come to find out it has three stages: First, Second, and Final. Only idiots ever try to use the final, because it'll rip your powers from ya for good. Possibly even kill ya. If you ever do figure out your Second Soul's name, stage one will come to ya just like that. Getting a grasp on that is what the academy is here for. Second Stage you'll have to learn on your own, if you ever do. It's a hell'a hard from what I hear, and I haven't reached it myself. Only Captains, or soon to be promoted Lieutenants, ever reach stage two. Now, powers, like I said, differ from person to person. It could have something to do with Soul Energy, or it could be more straightforward, like a giant axe or something. Whatever it is, be proud. It's you in its very essence, and the more you don't like your Second Soul, the more it won't like you. So play nice, it's your friend, not a tool." He paused, thinking everything over. "And, well, that's just about all I have to say. Questions, comments, concerns?" When nobody answered him, he sighed, lifting himself off the chair and placing it back in it's right place. "Alright, hang out in here and don't get too loud. When it's time to leave, you can go. Like I said, need me, and I'll be right out front takin' a smoke." As soon as he shut the door behind him I turned to Mel and whispered softly.

"Yeah, so, those dreams. I've been having them." Her eyes widened as she was about to explode in 'how's and 'what's and 'why's before I clamped a hand over her mouth, shushing her harshly. "Keep it down! That's why I'm whispering!" She sent me a sorry look and nodded. Slowly, I removed my hand. A quick glance around the room told me everyone else was doing their own thing.

"So, what's it like?" She prodded, a broad smile on her face. I shifted, feeling a bit odd talking about it so openly (even though we were whispering) before I shrugged.

"Well, at first I'm in a tree. Then the wind comes and suddenly I'm some sort of bird, flying over a field of purple flowers. Then the wind makes the flowers talk, and all I can hear is 'my name is-' before everything goes all warbled and stuff. I can never understand the name." She openly gaped, eyes like giant mossy emeralds of amazement.

"That's so cool!" She whisper-squealed, wrapping he arms round me into a giant hug. "I'm so jealous! Gyah!" I blushed, catching more than a few people staring at her gushing. She pulled away, giant grin on her face. "I really can't tell you how happy I am for you! I bet you'll be a Captain in no time! Then I'll know three Captains!" She spoke so fast I could barely catch any of it. My brow furrowed at her last sentence.

"You know two Captains?" I asked, slightly amazed and slightly miffed. There were only thirteen, and from what I learned, two were dead, so there were really only eleven. I didn't even really know one, just met him for two days. She nodded, pulling away from me.

"My brother, and then my brother's former lieutenant. She got promoted." Mel beamed at me, and I could feel myself wither. She was related to a Captain? She was probably destined for greatness, then. "You know, when my brother learned his Second Soul's name, his hair changed color. It was really weird… but still, super cool! I wonder if that'll happen to me?" She gasped, pointing at me, "Maybe it'll happen to you! Oh man! I'd love to see you with, like, bright green hair! Wouldn't that be cool?"

My face twitched into a smile at her warmth. Even if she was related to some scary people, she was still my friend. Just about my only friend, too. It was nice to know someone like her, all bubbly and cheery. It really put a skip in your step. So, I answered her, sharing her beam. "Yes!" I agreed, imagining myself with some odd hair color, "It definitely would!"

* * *

"Um, Mr. Law?" I asked, peeking out the door to find him still smoking away. All the others had left (even Mel went on ahead to our next class with a bit of prodding), and I was able to get him alone for a few seconds.

"Ah, it's you." He greeted as I stepped out of the building, closing the door behind me. "Thought you might come see me. What'cha need?"

"About those dreams…" I drowned off, not really knowing how to proceed. I shifted uncomfortably as his eyes widened.

"Don't tell me you're already having them!" At my unsure nod, he backed off a bit. "Alright, then. I figured as much. How long have you been getting them, now?"

"A couple months." To say his jaw dropped would be an understatement. It fell to the ground, cigarette somehow staying put, and his eyes widened to the point of almost popping out of his ball-capped head.

"Holy Shit! A couple months? How the hell do you not understand yourself that much?" I winced at his sudden shock; fearing anger was to come. Tif was always like that. Mom, too. He saw this and snapped his jaw shut, coughing to regain his cool. After watching me shift nervously for a few seconds, he took a long drag of his cigarette. "Well," he said, puffing smoke out of his mouth like a dragon, "I can say you have my pity, at the very least. Try to get to class early tomorrow, I'll take you up to the second year teacher to get you settled into his class. He works well with people like you."

I nodded, about to start off to catch up with Mel, when he added another part.

"And kid, what's your name again?"

"Vallery Wilkenson." I told him, watching his grayish eyes work in the sunlight, glinting from underneath his cap.

"Well, Vallery, if you ever need anything, just drop on by. Kids like you sometimes need things other kids don't." I bit my lip, nodding, before Feathering off to my friend.

* * *

"So, what all happened?" Mel asked as I appeared at her side, scaring a few kids around her from my sudden appearance. I shrugged, not really in the mood to talk about it.

"I'm going to be switched out of the class." My gaze traveled to the kids, noticing they were listening in on our conversation. "I'll tell you the rest later." She nodded, accepting the answer as we approached our last class of the day. The teacher was a Native American, sitting in lotus position next to a pile of books. He looked to be middle-aged, if not older, with long black hair braided behind him as he wore a comfortable pair of sweats and a tee, with a whistle hanging around his neck.

"Grab a book," he instructed us as we closed in, not opening either of his eyes, "then go by yourselves to find a place you can meditate. If you find it and there is still time left in class, read the first chapter of the book. If you are still bored, you may either practice meditating or read more of the book. When class has ended for the day, you may do whatever you wish."

I gave Mel a small smile when her face fell. She hated being by herself, which is why she usually followed me or some of her other friends around all the time. She returned the smile as I grabbed a book, reading the cover before tucking it under my arm and starting away. It was an old book of different types of ways you could use Soul Energy and meditation, not much different from the one I had learned how to make an orb from. Seeing as he wanted us to meditate, I started off for the gardens, where I knew my best bet at finding a place would be. As I stepped into the campus gardens (which was more like a small forest with a lot of tiny, man-made trails and creeks stretching through it), I could almost feel myself be welcomed by the nature. I didn't bother with the trail at all, knowing that I'd have to forge my own path to find what I needed. Some ten or twenty minutes of peaceful wondering later, I came upon a slanted, flat rock that was about twice my size in length and about my height at it's tallest point. All around there were trees and brushes, and when I closed my eyes, I could hear the trickling of a stream somewhere close. I placed the book down upon the rock, lifting myself onto its moss-covered surface with a bit of twisting. Making sure not to slip, I scooted across the rock until I reached its center. I smiled when I realized my feet had led me right to the perfect place.

With the smile still intact, I lifted the book into my lap, turning to chapter one a beginning to read through it. In a gist, it described three types of uses for Soul Energy, each under the 'Magic' category: Demon's Way, Binder's Way, and Healer's Way. Healer's Way was basically different techniques, all focusing on replenishing a person's Soul Energy before using both participants' energy to actually heal somebody. Binder's Way was really broad, encompassing actual binding spells to defensive spells to spells that just didn't belong in the last category. Demon's Way was purely offensive, and like Binder's Way, it had numbered spells with incantations and specific effects. After rereading the chapter to make sure I remembered everything, I palmed my face, flipping ahead in the book. The next chapter detailed Healer's way, telling how to use it and such. With a sigh, I flipped the book shut. I wasn't in the mood to read anymore. In fact, I wanted to put this place to the test. Closing my eyes and slipping my feet into lotus position, I took a few deep breaths to calm myself before slipping into meditation. All too quickly I was yanked from it into something deeper. Colors twisted into my calm mind, and with a start, I realized just where I was.

Sure enough, the gnarled old tree's branched still climbed up to the sky, aching to reach the shining pastel sun. With the breeze came the urge, and I gratefully pushed off the branch, letting my wings spread with a glorious rustle as they caught they wind, pulling me farther up into the air. Why am I here? I thought, looking down at the field, which I knew held the answer. Why can I not meditate?

"You must hear me…" The flowers spoke through the wind as I soared above them, keeping my eyes trained on the lavender field of beautiful comfort. "You know what I am, but now you must who I am…"

Then who are you? I knew it could hear me, understand me.

"I am you…"

I closed my eyes for the slightest of minutes as the speech wind shifted. With a few flaps of my wings, I was able to keep up in the air. All I could feel was the glorious wind, racing through my feathers and dancing upon my skin. Slowly, peacefully, I started to circle, getting the true feel of flying for the fist time.

"Focus, our time is limited. You must hear me…"

I opened my eyes again, staring down at the breathtaking field as I kept moving. Always moving. Always listening. I needed to ask to be told. She wouldn't just tell me.

What is your name?

"My name is…"

I cannot hear you! What is your name?

"Then you must listen! My name is-"

I could hear somebody, somebody far, far away, calling my name. It pulled me away from the field, and with a push of my will, I dived farther into the meditation-dream. I had to know. I had to know. It was now or never, and I had to know- what is your name?

The wind carried it to me just as I was pulled out of the world and into reality, leaving me with one last request:

"Now call me out!"

"Bloom, Gentle Flower."

* * *

**So, enter Gentle Flower. Yes, English. Yes, a zanpakuto. This is America. But don't worry, Japan will have it's time.**

**As I stated above, I AM SO SERIOUSLY SORRY YOU GUYS! I have had a migraine all week, and it climaxed yesterday. I would've updated this morning, but I was still recovering! So, I am very, very sorry! As such, an amazing shout out goes to my beloved reviewers, who really helped me through the pain this week: xXSweetestXAngelXNightmareXx and PlugInSarah. You guys can't imagine how much a simple review can help when you go through pain like that. I can't thank either of you enough.**

**I'd rant about how awesome Gentle Flower truly is, but I'm about to go eat dinner. :p As such, I'd just like you to know that she's wicked. And... not so Gentle. Haha, see you next week!**

**Review please!  
**


	7. Sensei?

**Here's the Chapter! Enjoy! I don't own Bleach! (Though if I did, I would use so many fillers in the anime)**

* * *

There was something in my hands that wasn't there before, I noticed with a small smile, opening my eyes and looking down into my lap, where my hands were folded. Dusk was breaking, shading the trees in gold and oranges, and tinting the flower in my grasp slightly off color. What I knew to be the same pastel green as the grass in my dream, a small vine, no longer than my pointer finger, connected two flower heads. Each head held a small, pale yellow circle at its center, reminding me of the sun's purpose in my dream. From the center sprouted four tiny petals, each a lavender semi-circle no bigger than my pinky nail. No leaves hung from the vine attaching the two heads, leaving the buds to be all the glory of the Second Soul's dormant form.

"What a suitable name..." I muttered, running my thumb down the vine. Although it clearly didn't move, it still seemed to shudder in my hand, welcoming my touch.

"Vallery? Val?" I could hear Mel's shouting throughout the wood, disturbing every creature within a mile radius with her over-amplified voice box. She must've been the one to pull me from the world, I noticed. But it wasn't with disdain or anger, because I couldn't have been angry with her at that moment. I had finally heard my Second Soul's name. After all these months, finally heard it. Twigs and leaves breaking with a crunch alerted me that my friend had stepped into my sight. "Excuse me, but have you seen a girl about your size with bright red- oh my god Vallery! What happened to your hair?"

My brows furrowed as her jaw dropped, what was she talking about? Was something different? She was in such a state of shock she couldn't speak, jaw working, but no noise coming out. Frowning, I reached with my left hand (Gentle Flower was in my right) and tugged out my hair bow, letting my messy heap of curls fall to my shoulders. Even in the fading sunlight, I could clearly see what happened to me in my time with Gentle Flower.

A high-pitched shriek echoed throughout the woods as my mind registered the panic.

* * *

"Purple… I'm a flowering, purple-headed Academy student. Flowering, purple headed Academy student. Purple-headed, flowering…" My muttering caused Mel to send a scowl of disdain to me through the mirror.

"Oh, will you hush? Changes like this are common enough, so stop getting your panties in a bunch!" She worked her fingers through my tangled mess, attempting to find something to do with it. When red, it looked okay wild. But now that it was freaking purple I looked like a giant, over-grown sprout. "And besides, it's not really purple, it's lavender. And I think it suits you!" I winced, looking into my lap at Gentle Flower. Tied into a circle, I wore her as a ring around my right ring finger. The two heads almost seemed to smile up at me as I stared at it, rubbing my pinky and thumb against it to get used to the feel of it's presence. "And look at the bright side, it's taken such a convenient form! You could even wear it in your hair, or tie it on your clothes! You're so lucky- I know plenty of people who have to lug around swords or other stuff. You've just got a pretty flower!" Her piping didn't make me feel much better about the hair, though I was happy I finally heard her name. As such, I told Mel as she walked away to go fetch a brush.

"Not pretty, gentle. Gentle Flower." I mumbled, not taking my eyes off the ring.

"What was that?" Mel asked, returning with a brush in one hand and a spray bottle tucked close to a pair of scissors in the other. My brows furrowed as I wondered just what she was going to do with the odd assortment of items in her hands.

"Gentle Flower, it's her name. What are you doing with all that?" She shrugged as a smile made it's way to her face.

"What does it look like? I'm cutting your hair." Ten minutes of struggling, pounding, and bruising later, I sat in the chair with two bumps on my noggin and one reddening cheek. Submission to Mel was not an option, I noted to myself for future reference.

At the end of her hour-long clipping spree, my previously back-long hair was now just past shoulder length so that I could still tie it back, and a few wavy bangs swept around my face to give me a slightly older look. I was instructed to brush it every day, twice a day, and take good care lest curls make their way out of the pony tail and ruin my daily look.

And as I had just learned, I had best follow those instructions, or suffer Mel's wrath once more.

* * *

After dinner that night, I went out with Mel down to the field, just incase this turned out to be something big. Swallowing, I sent one last look over my shoulder to Mel. "Are you sure this is a good idea?"

She grinned her famous trouble-making grin, shooting me a thumb up from her position twenty feet away. "It's what my bro did! Trust me, you shouldn't waste any time! Just call out whatever you said to make it appear in your hand!"

I nodded, looking back at Gentle Flower, who lay unmoving in my open, face up palm. Taking one last deep breath and steeling myself for the worst (whatever that was), I called out my Second Soul, "Bloom, Gentle Flower."

Since my voice was no more than a mumble, I took it she was so eager to be released she didn't care how I said it. The vine suddenly started to morph in my hand, instantly grower thicker and longer until small little lavender pieces of it fell off, beginning a mass exodus off of the second soul as they pealed away to form a thick chain in my hand. The chain kept on growing longer as the petal bearing heads of the flower closed up, growing thicker and stronger themselves before turning to the same metal the chain was made of and shifting into two same sized iron balls, one with spikes tipping out of it in every which way, and the other with thin, etched-in lines wrapping around it in all directions, with four small, but still razor sharp curved blades peeking from within the cracks. When the cast-iron balls hit the ground, the chain stopped growing, leaving me in the dark with a form I recognized from a picture book of ancient Chinese weapons. The Gentle Flower's first stage, a double-headed meteor hammer.

"Eh? A weapon type?" Mel asked, jogging up to me. I nodded, brows furrowing as I started to collect the chain, which totaled a length of a little longer than three yards. A single strong tug on it to lift the bladed head off the ground told me the chain was extendable. "And Chinese, at that. That's like, totally contradictory." I shrugged; taking a few steps away from her as I finished looping the chain, picking the two iron heads off the ground with a lighter tug. Gentle Flower seemed to get what I was thinking, and didn't extend again. Deciding it'd be less dangerous, I started to spin the cracked and bladed one, eyes widening as it gained speed in the small circle. I watched my hand as the weight made what I was doing all too dangerous, before a light buzzing sound started to rip through the air.

"What's that sound?" Mel asked, taking a few more steps away from me for safety.

"I don't know…" I started to slow down the spin; scared I was doing something that might hurt either of us. As the head slowed to a rocking back and forth at my side, my jaw almost dropped at what the four blades were doing. Spinning around the ball in all directions, coursing through the cracks like pathways, the blades were slowing to a stop, and little by little, the buzzing sound ended with them. "So the faster I spin, the faster the blades go…"

"Looks like…." Mel faded off, staring at my weapon in awe before blinking back to reality, scratching her head and messing up her hair as her face twisted in slight frustration. "Gyah! I'm so jealous!" A bell interrupted our little test as it rang out from the top of the building, ding-donging a heavy sound throughout the entire campus.

"Come on, that's the curfew bell. We should head on back now." I stated, eying the darkened path to our building. She harrumphed, crossing her arms with a nod. Looking down to Gentle Flower, I briefly wondered how to get her back in her normal form. As if the very thought of it stirred something, the Second Soul began to glow lightly with my lavender energy, twisting and shrinking in size. The balls bloomed back into their flower state as the chain faded into green, winding itself together to form a thick vine that shrunk more and more until Gentle Flower's dormant form laid in my hand. "You really are me, huh?" The flower almost seemed to smile up at me as my energy faded away, bringing a smile to my own face. I started forward to the buildings, wrapping Gentle Flower into a small knot and slipping her around my ring finger. Looking up, I caught Mel glowing at me, broad grin ever plastered to her face.

"Come on!" She said, stepping in beside me and grabbing my arm, "We've got to get you to bed! Tomorrow you're showing Mr. Law!"

* * *

"Um, Mr. Law?" I asked, walking up to him sheepishly, having feathered from my previous class. He blinked when he heard his name, looking over his shoulder at me with a confused expression.

"What the hell did you do to your hair? Ah well, never mind that. We've got to get you to your new teacher before class starts." He walked up to me then, placing a hand on my shoulder and starting to walk me away from his building at a quick pace, keeping me with him.

"Um, Mr. Law? Perhaps I should be put in with the third years, instead…" He paused in he stride, removing his hand from my shoulder as we came into a small part of the academy dedicated to upperclassmen training. Small buildings were lined up in rows, each with different training rooms inside them.

"Eh? Why?" He asked, and I took my right hand out of my pocket, showing him Gentle Flower. "Because you found a flower?"

I pursed my lips, shaking my head, "Her name's Gentle Flower. I heard it during meditation in my last period class yesterday." It took him a second to realize what I said. When he did, his eye twitched.

"You're just not normal, are you?" He asked; sounding slightly miffed that I had made such a recent development. I shifted, hurt. I was normal, mostly. It was just my age that made none of this normal. He sighed, seeing his mistake. When he did, he shifted his cap, closing his eyes and thinking it over. "Well, what does it do? Transform into, I mean?"

"Double-headed meteor hammer." I answered, giving its basic form. He blinked, taking another look at the flower before nodding, shoving his hands in his pockets.

"Follow me, then." I nodded as he started walking again, not looking back at me as I bit my lip nervously, massaging Gentle Flower with my left hand and keeping pace behind him. We walked between a row of the small buildings, gaining glances and curious looks from all sorts of upperclassmen. More than once I caught a whisper, but I tried to ignore them, as usual. Letting them get me down wouldn't do me any good. Gentle Flower's presence on my hand was comforting, giving me the courage I needed as Mr. Law turned in between two buildings, walking with the seemingly utmost confidence in where he was leading me. When we left the space between the buildings, he took a left, leading me behind the rows upon rows of back doors and bringing me in front of a new figure leaning against the wall beside one. "Hey, Mark! Got a new student for ya!"

The figure looked up at Mr. Law, shocked to see him here before his eyes fell to me. His hair was tied back into a ponytail, long and dark brown with a course looking texture. Thick eyebrows and sharp steel-colored eyes gave him a scarier appearance than his laidback clothing suggested, with tan, obviously Asian skin. No whistle, I noticed, hung from his neck as he stood from his lean, examining me faster than I had him. His eyes then flashed back to Mr. Law, and an accusatory look was shot at the grinning man.

"A first year?" The Mark guy asked, not looking at me again as he spoke to his fellow teacher.

"A prodigy, more like. Got her Second Soul yesterday, and I thought you'd be the best at teaching her." Mr. Law's compliment made me shift, unused to such praise before I nervously met Mark's eyes. Mr. Law then turned to me, grabbing my attention with his broad grin while shoving a thumb at his fellow. "Mark here teaches third years with soft type Second Souls. Since most of the third years just got their own like you, you'll be best off in his class."

"What's your name, kid?" Mark asked, looking at me with a hard stare.

"Vallery Wilkenson, sir." I said softly, not liking his apparent mistrust. He looked like the type whose bad side was not a good thing.

"And what is your Second Soul?" I lifted my right hand only slightly, and his eyes flashed to the flower around my finger.

"A double-headed meteor hammer, sir." He waited a moment, as if debated whether or not I was tricking him. Mr. Law saw the look he was giving me, and stepped up to my defense.

"Come on now, Mark. She wouldn't do any good with the first or second years. Give the kid a chance. Besides, if it's any proof, her hair was red yesterday. And don't you start off about dye, because we both know that there's no person inside campus that makes purple hair dye." Mr. Law's defense, along with a sudden shiver of agreement from Gentle Flower, made my confidence grow by leaps and bounds. I was a prodigy. I did deserve to be taught. I shouldn't be discriminated against because of my age; not only was it just rude, it was a waste of my potential. Mark seemed to become slightly put off at Mr. Law's immediate defense of me, shifting uncomfortably before he looked at me one last time. A deep sigh left his chest as he shook his head.

"Go inside and take a seat, the rest of your new classmates should be arriving. Like you, they posses soft weapons. Monday through Thursday you meet here, and I will assign you a training room in the basement for your personal practice. The rest of the period you do just that. No goofing off, and no screwing around. Second Souls are deadly and dangerous at all times, not just when we want them to be. Fridays you are free to do whatever you wish, show up or don't. I hold kendo meetings then, which I don't expect you to attend."

"You teach kendo?" I asked, amazed. My grandmother often spoke of how her father taught her the basics of the sword fighting sport as a young girl, and how she'd kick every single one of her older brother's butts at it. Sword fighting, she said, ran in the family. Unlike most Japanese traditionalists, her father didn't tarry to teach her just because she was a woman.

"You know what it is?" His brows furrowed in slight suspicion and slight bafflement. I could easily bet he didn't expect me to know anything, much less the art of sword fighting. Which I technically didn't know, but knew about.

I nodded, "My grandmother was Japanese. She spoke about it all the time."

His brow lifted as he leaned back with crossed arms. The next sentence he spoke in the only foreign language I practiced: "Am I going too far in hoping that you know Japanese?"

"Not at all, sensei." I replied in the same tongue, bowing in the slightest. A small smile spread across his face, and Mr. Law grinned at the interchange between us.

"See! You have more in common than ya thought! I leave her to you, then!" With the same grin plastered on his face, Mr. Law Feathered away, heading off to his no doubt waiting class. Mr. Mark's face fell when he heard his fellow's happy remark, and he went back to his hard exterior.

"Go inside and take a seat, then. I will have you transferred onto my register." He ordered in Japanese, and I nodded, taking a step back to provide room to bow properly before I stepped past my new teacher, entering the back door of the building.

* * *

"Mel!" I shouted, making her stop and wait for me to catch up. Too tired to Feather, I jogged up to her, breathing hard from my first exhilarating day under Mr. Mark.

"How'd it go?" She asked, watching me try to get my breathing under control. Both of our books for this class tucked under one of her arms, and when I held my hand out, she handed it to me.

"Thanks." She nodded her welcome as I continued, "It was awesome! My teacher knows Japanese, like me! He taught me how to make a practice meteor hammer so I wouldn't have to call out Gentle Flower for light training." My grin made her grin in turn. Lifting a hand, she ruffled my hair so violently it could almost be considered a noogie.

"Lucky! Meeting upperclassmen dudes already!" I blushed as she laughed, her grin becoming contagious as I tucked my book up to my chest, a small smile of it's own on my face. Like that we walked into our first year Magic class, finding our teacher inside the building he sat outside yesterday, this time cross-legged at the back of the room. Forming a semi-circle area around him, the other students who arrived chattered away, each sitting cross-legged themselves as they waited for the lesson to begin. Mel and I took a seat to the right-ish-middle of the semi circle, sitting next to each other.

"Hey genius girl! Heard you got your Second Soul already!" A boy across the circle shouted at me, grin plastered across his face. A few people in the room fell silent at his statement, glancing between the two of us to see what would happen. Hesitant that he might make fun of me, I bit my lip, and nodded. "Whoowhee! Wish I could've done that at your age!" He laughed, and I shifted in my seat. He wasn't making fun of me, but it was still embarrassing to have news about what I could do spread so fast. The girl in front of me turned around, a look of amazement on her face.

"Really?" She asked, and I nodded again. "That's so cool! What's it like?" I shrugged, a bit too embarrassed to talk, lest I stutter. Mel had no trouble with telling her though, with a grin still on her amiable face.

"It's so wicked! It's a meteor hammer! Like, a really long chain, but with two metal balls on the end! It got her into a third year class!" The girl's eyes went wide at Mel's enthusiasm, before she looked back at me.

"Do you have it with you? Can I see it?" I nodded, blushing as I pulled my right hand out of my pocket. She grabbed my hand with a gasp, pulling it up to her face as she fingered the small flower. "And this turns into a meteor hammer! That's amazing!"

"What? That?" Another kid asked, this time a boy as he leaned in to see Gentle Flower. "No way!"

"What?"

"Let me see!"

"I wanna look!"

My face was beat red as the class started to gather around my hand, one or two at a time holding it up so everybody could see. I sent a pleading look to Mel, begging her to get them off of me. She just grinned and tipped me a wink, silently encouraging me to bask in the moment. The teacher, praise him, saw it as the perfect time to start class.

"Alright, everyone, sit down. Gaping like monkeys will do you no good in getting your own." He instructed, and with a few people lingering a bit longer, they all eventually went back to where they were sitting before. I finally pulled my hand back into my lap, massaging the much grimier looking Second Soul with my fingers. It didn't seem to accept my silent apology this time, too angry that I let her be mishandled in such a way. "Now," I sighed softly and brought my attention up to our Native American teacher, "my name is too difficult for half of you, so you will all refer to me from here on out as sir, got it?"

"Yes, sir." The class mumbled in discord.

"Good. How many of you finished reading chapter one yesterday?" Four people in the room raised their hand, including me. He sighed, glancing each of us over. "Very well. As for the rest of you, I suggest you finish it tonight, or tomorrow before class. The purpose of this class, as those of you who read would probably have guessed, is an introduction to the three basic schools of Magic: Demon's Way, Binder's Way, and Healer's Way. You will not learn Healer's Way until next semester, and as for this one, you shall all be learning, memorizing, and practicing Demon and Binder spells 1-10. A test of your knowledge shall be your midterm: you will be ordered to destroy a straw dummy with whatever spell you choose. I suggest you make it good. For those of you who wish for extra practice, or better yet, take a liking to any of the schools of Magic, you are welcome to come to class on Fridays, which is otherwise not mandatory. It is then that I host a club for any and all students wishing to further their abilities in Magic. No extra credit is given for attending." I was quick to recognize that almost all of our classes on Friday were optional, as clubs were hosted at that time. Track for my class right after lunch made it optional on Friday, Foreign Language Society for my second period. Hope flitted in my stomach at the possibility of my last two classes on Friday becoming optional, as well. Then I'd have a three-day weekend every week, as no classes were permitted on Saturday and Sunday. "Those of you gifted in the use of Magic will be permitted to move up at the semester, I usually have the majority of my students gone by the end of January. You shall be put into the class that best suits your level of skill, most of you will be put in with the second years, some with the third. High achievers might even get put in with the fourth. Whatever the case, the harder you work, the better your reward is. With all of that being said, you may meditate, read your books quietly, or go out back and test out any spell you wish on the practice straw dummies. Be aware that talking outside of practicing chants was not part of the instructions."

Mel groaned, and I patted her back out of pity. 'Quiet' was a horrible word in her dictionary. Picking up my book, I moved to the sidewall, away from the other students so that I might focus better. A few others did the same, decorating the room as people spread out away from each other. I picked up the book and began reading chapter three, knowing Healer's Way could wait until later.

* * *

"Will you please get your nose out of that damn book and listen to me?" Mel strained, swirling her spaghetti around on her plate with one hand and holding her face up with the other.

"But it's so interesting…" I muttered, not looking away from the book, but turning it around to show her what spell I was reading on, "See, look. This one locks the target's arms behind their back, enabling them from attacking you. Isn't it fascinating?"

"Completely." She deadpanned, sarcasm obvious. A frown tugged on my lips as I looked to her, upset that we didn't share the same interest in Magic. "If you like it so much, join that club thing Teach was talkin' 'bout."

"I just might." I said with a sigh, slipping a small piece of paper into my place and shutting the book. "Now, what were you saying?"

"I was talkin' about how the swim team looks like a cool thing to do on Friday. But now that I know the conversation doesn't interest you at all, you should probably know that there are some upperclassmen staring at you." At her comment I blinked, about to look around when she snapped in a quiet whisper at me: "Don't look, dummy!" I put my gaze right back to her, tilting my head in the unasked question as she rolled her eyes. "They'll know we're talking about them!"

I furrowed my brows, "What do you think they want?" She shrugged, taking one good glance over my left shoulder, supposedly at the group of upperclassmen.

"Not a clue. But they aren't too cute, so I'd be careful. Looks like the types who'll jump ya on the way to the laundry mat."

"Speaking of which, I need to do a load. Would you like for me to put yours in with mine? I think I'm going to go tomorrow, before dinner and after class." It was true; I did need to do my laundry. But then again, I was running low on money. At this rate, before the month was over I'd be broke. I told her this, and she shrugged.

"Whatever, you can always get a job on campus. I heard the track team needed a water boy. Oh shit! Here one of them comes!" She ducked her head, making me wince as I attempted to act normal. Picking up my fork, I lifted some of the untouched spaghetti up and into my mouth, covering my jaw with my hand to keep from spitting the wretched tasting meal out.

"Hey, you're the genius girl everybody's been talking about, right?" A guy -probably fifth or sixth year- asked, coming to sit in the chair on my left. I swallowed the horrifying meal, taking it as better than nothing before I started to shake my head.

"I'm really not a-"

"She is." Mel interrupted, sending me a 'shut the hell up and accept it already' look. "She won't admit it, but she is." I shifted uncomfortably, shrugging at the guy's skeptical look. Like Mel had said, he wasn't cute. In fact, he was one of the uglier student's I'd seen around: with an over large square jaw and beady eyes, along with black hair roped into a buzz cut and a very thick and flat nose. Taking one glance at him, I could tell he was more nervous about approaching me than I was, and the sight of it calmed me somewhat.

"What do you need?" I asked, grabbing my napkin and wiping my mouth.

"Well, you see…" He shifted, looking to the floor, the table, Mel, anywhere but me as he attempted to gain his nerve. I lifted my glass of water to my lips, waiting patiently as he finally got started. "Well, I'm a sixth year, and well, you know us. We got saddled with another year here because we aren't bright enough to keep up with the normal paced people." He took a glance at me, noticing I didn't say anything. This gave him a bit of courage, it seemed, as he managed to look at my glass as he kept speaking. "And, well, I'm doing pretty good in all my classes. It looks like it'll be an easy year, too. But at this rate, I'm probably going to get sent off into some squad that I really don't fit into, because the squad I want won't accept people who run at an average pace, like me. So, I was, well… wondering if you could teach me how to Feather?"

Water erupted from my mouth as I started to cough. I could feel my face burn as his dropped, and I hastily set my water down and grabbed my napkin, covering my mouth as I continued to hack up my lungs. The guy shifted, waiting for my answer as Mel burst into laughter so hard, tears pricked at her eyes. She slammed her hand down on the table repeatedly as she howled and hooted at my predicament, clutching her stomach, tears breaking free of their restraints. I barely managed a glare at her as my coughing started to die down, and I looked over to the fellow tomato-skinned student.

"You want me to tutor you in how to Feather?" I wheezed, wanting to be sure I heard everything clearly. He nodded, face going an even darker shade of red than I thought possible. Coughing a few more times to clear my throat, I sent my best glare at Mel. She caught it and started to calm down, covering her mouth with one hand and wiping her eyes with the other as she snickered. With that done, I looked over to the guy one last time. Could I teach someone? Not just the basics, like I had Tif, but actually get them good enough for a squad? "It'll be hard work, you know that, right?"

"Mm…" He nodded, face starting to calm as his hopes started to get back up. "And I'll pay you, too. Because I realize you must be busy 'n all…"

"There goes your money problem." Mel smarted, grinning at me as I silenced her with a look. Pursing my lips, I did a once over of the guy. He was decently big, with rather broad shoulders and huge muscles, with a not-so-fat, but not-really-skinny stomach. It'd be harder for him, because of his size. But, since he was paying… did I really have a choice?

"I'd be happy to."

"R-really?" He exclaimed, snapping his head up to look at me as I nodded. His eyes went winder than I thought possible for their size. "Thank you! Thank you so much!"

I smiled at his grin, "How about you meet at the field Saturday morning, thirty minutes after breakfast stops being served? That way our stomach don't get upset, and it's not too hot outside."

"Sounds great!" He pulled my right hand into his, clasping his other on top as he shook it, "Really! Thank you! Thank you!"

* * *

**Enter the Gentle Flower... Mwuahahaha :D I can't wait for her bankai. The glory... the gore... I true challenge to write. I can only hope my skills are up for the test. Talking about skills, do you have any idea how weird it is to be writing 5,000 word chapters for a story? Very, very odd. I've never kept a constant number that high before :p  
**

**SUPER DUPER bundles of love to my only reviewer of last chapter: Dreamer's Samhain! Lol, don't you worry about Val's family, now. They'll be back. They'll always be back. xD Haha!**

**PLEASE REVIEW EVERYBODY! (Seriously, do you know how rude it is to not? I can always hold chapters :p) See you next week!**


	8. Lacking

**Wow, NOBODY reviewed last chapter. Thanks guys. I don't own Bleach.

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"Why didn't you stick up for me?" They accused as I lay among them, their soft petals forming a plush bed for my to rest my head on. No longer was I a bird, but myself once more as I lay under the gnarled tree, wind whispering Gentle Flower's words to me.

"I was scared…" I admitted, staring up through the tree's branches at the true blue sky. A shiver quaked through the flowers as my Second Soul's rage rose.

"You were scared? You were scared? No! I was scared! And you did not defend me!" She fell silent, anger fluttering down into sadness as the flowers stopped caressing my skin, lying away from me as they withdrew their petals. "How am I to trust you if you do not defend me?"

"I'm sorry." My apology went unaccepted, even if it was full-heartedly meant. The wind hissed her next words into my ear loudly, making me wince and curl into myself.

"If I cannot trust you, then you cannot trust me. This is something an apology will not fix. Prove yourself to me, show me that you are willing to defend me, and I will defend you."

I gasped into the waking world, out of my dream as I sat up in bed, feeling like a fish out of water. Heavy breaths came as a cold sweat broke out on my skin through the darkness, and one glance across the room told me Mel was already up. Too jittery to even look at the clock, I threw my blankets off me and set my feet on the cold, carpeted floor. Their plushy surface was nothing compared to the soft bed of flowers I had in the dream.

No, I mentally corrected myself, in the conversation with Gentle Flower. Sure enough, I lifted my right hand, where my Second Soul was still wrapped around my finger. It was cold to the touch, anger still very much apparent to me. Whether nerves, or simple sleeplessness, I stood from my bed, collected my clothes, and made for the showers.

* * *

The water felt good on my face as I looked into the showerhead, letting the warm liquid splash onto my skin and through my scalp. I had taken Gentle Flower off and set her in my pile of clothes, preferring to have my head to myself for a bit as I thought to her words. She had a point. A very good point. I should've stuck up for her. Gaping and staring is rude, and I should've told the other first years as such. Quickly squirting out some of the community shampoo into my hand, I worked it through my hair, massaging it into my scalp as the bubbles formed. She hated being pointed out just as much as me. Especially in such an embarrassing way.

Or, maybe, I should have flaunted her more? Pride was one thing I lacked, and one thing she obviously had. Would she like that? I could wear her in my hair, as Mel suggested, or tuck her behind my ear.

Something told me she liked her spot on my hand as much as I did. Closing my eyes, I rinsed the shampoo out of my hair, splashing the bubbly mess onto the tiled floor, where it sank into the drain below. Conditioner was next as I worked it into my hands first, before dragging it upward to the mid part of my hair. Any further up, and it'd get too oily. No matter what my choice was with what I should do about Gentle Flower's and my falling out, I needed to show her I was still willing to work with her.

I sighed as I began to wash my body, letting the conditioner sit. If only I knew how to do that.

* * *

"A falling out?" Mel questioned. I nodded, turning Gentle Flower around my finger with my pinky. She didn't respond to the touch. "Why?"

"I didn't stick up for her." At Mel's questioning look I saw when I glanced at her, I continued. "Yesterday during last class. She didn't like being grabbled and gawked at like that, and I knew it. But I still didn't do anything."

"Well, you were embarrassed too, weren't you? So how could you have done something?" I shrugged at her question, eyes never leaving my Second Soul.

"I should've stood up for her, that I know now."

Mel sighed, taking a bite of her toast. I wasn't in the mood for food. "You should talk with a teacher about it. They'll know what to do."

I nodded, a single figure in mind.

* * *

"Mr. Law! Can I ask your advice for something?" I asked as I ran up to him during lunch break that day. Instead of confuse myself and ponder over it further, I had decided to read more spells and commit them to memory in my downtime during my first three classes. He looked up from where he was sitting down taking a smoke break behind his building.

"Figured you'd be 'round here soon enough. Sit, sit." He patted the ground next to him, and I nodded, taking a seat to his left. "Now, what can I help you with Vallery?"

"Gentle Flower's mad at me." I told him, looking down at my lap. I could feel his eyes on me as I kept on, "I was too embarrassed to stop the other first years from manhandling her, and now she's mad."

"Well, I'd be mad too if I were her." Mr. Law stated, taking a drag of his cigarette.

"I thought so too, so I apologized. But she says that I have to earn her trust in stuff, because I guess I lost it. I tried summoning her before class, and it wouldn't work. Which I expected, because she said she'd only defend me when I defend her. The thing is, how do I show her that she can trust me to defend her from now on?" He raised a brow at my dilemma, letting loose the smoke into the atmosphere as he spoke.

"Can she trust you?"

My brows furrowed, "What do you mean? Of course she can. I'm not going to let people do that to her again."

He shook his head, shutting his eyes, "It's not that simple, Vallery. A bond between a Reaper and their Second Soul is unbreakable for a reason. Can you honestly tell me that if I told you I knew another first year with a Second Soul better than yours that you wouldn't just shrug? Not only that, but you have to defend your Second Soul naturally: it can't be forced. And you're lacking the key ingredient needed in doing that."

"What's the ingredient?" I asked, watching him with wide eyes. I needed to know, I had to get back on Gentle Flower's good side. It didn't feel right not being able to connect with her.

"Confidence." I blinked at the simplicity of his words, but still not understanding them. He saw my look and sighed, "I can't just hand you all the answers, Vallery. Just know that it doesn't just mean that you'll stand up for your Second Soul when you're supposed to, it goes beyond that. Deeper." I frowned as he faded off, becoming distracted by a certain formation of clouds in the sky. Eventually, after a good minute of attempting to figure out what he meant, he pushed himself off the ground, holding out a hand to me. I took it, standing. "You'll figure it all out eventually." He said, ruffling my hair. My frown tilted at his apparent belief in me, it was almost impossible for me to be mad at him when he treated me so kindly. "Trust me on that. Now get on out of here, go to lunch. Starving yourself isn't going to do you much good."

* * *

"Demon's Way: Thrust!" I shouted, pointing my finger at the standing straw doll. The image in my head flew into creation as the straw doll became indented where I pointed, proving that if not attached to wood, it would have been thrust backwards a good few feet. It was the most basic Demon's Way spell, and didn't even have an incantation for one to use. I smiled at my success, it was only my third time trying it, and I had managed to get it down. Now to try something else. After unpinning the arms of the life size doll so that I could see if the spell was working or not, I tried out the first Binder's Way Spell, pointing my middle and pointer fingers at the doll, calling out the name. "Binder's Way: Restrain!"

The dolls arms immediately locked behind its back, bringing a beam to my face. I was getting it, and that was my first time trying. All others that I tried came within the first ten times of practicing the moves and calling out the name. It seemed that like a few others who had joined me outside, I was gifted in Magic. Though, I had picked up on it faster than the others (there were five, with ten dolls on the training ground), I could mostly assume it was because of my prior knowledge of how to morph and form my Soul Energy.

"Isn't there something you're not good at?" Mel asked, sending me a fake glare as she crossed her arms while standing behind me. I shrugged, deciding to tell her of my predisposition.

"I read a book that showed me how to use and morph my Soul Energy a good few months before I came here. I'm only this good because of practice, if you tried I bet you could easily become better at it than me."

"Yeah," she snorted, "right. I'll believe that when it happens, thank you."

"Wilkenson!" Shouted a fellow first year that stood three straw dolls down. "Can you show me how you did Binder's Way, number one?"

"You see! Gyah! You're unstoppable!" Mel threw her hands in the air, making a funny face. "I bet you're going to rule the world one day." I laughed at the thought. Not likely.

"I'll be right there!" I shouted back to him, knowing he would be easy to help. I had snatched a few glances while practicing: he was close, but wasn't putting enough energy into it. Looking back to Mel, I simply shrugged. "Says the girl with a Captain as a sibling."

"Meh," Mel shrugged, "The only thing he's good for is healing. I bet'cha you could probably give him a run for his money in a couple years or so."

"Hardly." I stated, walking away to go help the fellow classmate. Me becoming a Captain-level Reaper wasn't something I could even dream about.

* * *

"Hey, Wilkenson, you're joining the Magic Club, right?" A fellow student asked me, leaning over the ironing board that separated us. I blinked up from my book, shocked that someone I didn't know knew my name, before seeing that he was a third year from Mr. Mark's class. Jacob? Jason? His name began with a 'Ja' sound anyway. He was really popular with the girls with his flaky brown hair and dull eyes, and was kind of attractive in the I'm-not-really-cool-but-I-try sort of vibe.

"Yeah, why?" I answered him, watching was he shrugged.

"Just makin' sure is all. Gotta get the prodigy before any of the other clubs do, ya know." He grinned as I frowned in the slightest; looking over to the washing machine dryer combination that sat against the wall to make sure my close weren't ready. Chairs and ironing boards with laundry baskets set across from each machine, allowing full laundry needs to be taken care of quickly and efficiently in the room.

"I'm not really a prodigy, I've just had more practice than all of you." I stated, attempting to go back to my book before his eyebrows shot up and he let out a low whistle.

"I'd heard ya had confidence issues but I didn't know you were in downright denial." I pursed my lips at his statement, shifting. I wasn't in denial. It was the truth. Apparently though, I was the only one who could see that.

But, then again… isn't just what Mr. Law was talking about?

I sighed and went back to my book, banishing the thoughts from existence. It wasn't that I was unconfident; I was just… unused to everything here. I'd adapt in time. That's how I always survived in the past; it's how I'd survive now.

"Who made you like that?" The boy asked, cheek in palm as he continued to watch me over the board. My brows furrowed as I looked up; what was he talking about?

"What do you mean?" My question made him huff a sigh. Pursing his own lips, I wasn't expecting the poke he targeted at the top of my head.

"Who destroyed you confidence? We're all born with it, so who took yours away?" I shrugged, not knowing what to say. I supposed I could say Tif did, it would make sense. But I shouldn't put all the blame on her. Besides, we were going off the assumption that I had no confidence; and I did. He sighed, reaching over and ruffling my hair. A frown irked it's way onto my face, but he didn't seem to notice. "Well, then, see you tomorrow at class."

I didn't talk again as he went to pull his clothes out of the dryer, piling them up in a basket before walking out the door.

* * *

"Um, we should start off with the basics, I suppose. Make a ball of your Soul Energy, about the size of a basketball." I told him, summoning one of my own as I stood a few feet in front of him. The sixth year whom I had agreed to tutor, Eric Trutage, nodded as he closed his eyes, summoning a same sized ball of his own energy. "Now, slowly, bring it back in."

His eyebrows furrowed downward into a look of confusion. "I'm sorry, but why do we want to bring it back in?"

"It'll give you the same feeling as when you stop Feathering. Starting is the easy part, knowing how to stop is where it gets tricky." He nodded, biting his lip. In the millisecond it took for his eyes to twitch, I knew what was going to happen (having experienced it on my own many times before). I ducked to the ground just as the ball exploded in his face, covering my ears so they wouldn't ring. After the few seconds I waited to make sure I was all right, I blinked up, catching sight of his charred face and blown back hair, shocked expression set in stone. "We should try that again."

He nodded, eyes still wide as he lifted his sleeve, wiping the blackness off his face. "Um, if you don't mind, how do we bring it back in?"

I stood up again, swiping off my pants as I did so. Trying to summon the image in my head was easy, putting it into words was not. "Um, picture what you're doing in your head. So, picture your hands holding up your Soul Energy. When you've got that image stable, you should, um, shrink it? Just the ball though, not your hands. Slowly and steadily, make the ball in your head smaller, and that should start to bring your Soul Energy back into you. You'll feel it absorb through your hands. Um, watch me..." I held my hands out in front of me as he nodded, bringing out the proper size ball of Soul Energy. Then, closing my eyes as I pictured it, I shrank the ball, feeling it absorb back into my body. I tried to go slow as so he could see the process, but since it was all in my head, and I was used to doing it so fast, the process was hard to measure. "Um, was that too fast?" I asked when done, opening my eyes to see him staring at the empty space between my hands.

With a shake of his head, he closed his eyes, pulling out the energy ball. Taking a few deep, calming breaths before starting, I could see the gears working from the way his veins started to twitch out of his head. After a good minute or so of me just watching him carefully, the ball started to shrink. I smiled as I watched it, very slowly, get smaller and smaller. Two or three minutes later, there was nothingness in his hands when he opened his eyes, a grin immediately taking his face when he saw what he accomplished. "Awesome! They don't teach you that here!"

I laughed lightly at his enthusiasm, motioning for him to do it again. "Try it faster this time, but don't push yourself. Your eyebrows may be gone next." He laughed heartily at my small joke, taking a seat on the field grass. I copied him, sitting straight backed with my legs crossed as I watched him close his eyes and repeat the process. This time he took fewer deep breaths, able to conjure the image up easier now that he had an idea of how to do so. After about half and hour of him doing so again and again, I nodded. "Alright, you can practice that more later. I think we can move on now."

"Sweet! What's next?" He asked, eyes snapping open and a grin spreading across his face like wildfire. My smile faded in the slightest at I knew I had to tell him the bad news.

"Now, we run. Sprint, actually. This is the hardest, because it takes time to build up your cardiovascular system enough to endure Feathering." His face fell, just as I expected. "I'm sorry, but going straight to Feathering is too dangerous, you could have a heart attack…"

"Nah," A smile took him once more as he shrugged, picking himself up off the ground and offering a hand out to me, "if it's for safety, then I completely understand. How fast do I have to be?"

I took his hand, allowing him to pull me off the ground as I made the approximate calculations. "It sounds horrible, but… a mile in four minutes." He sweatdropped, rubbing the back of his head with a nervous laugh.

"You're right, it does sound horrible…" Looking around the field and off into the distance, I watched as something changed in his eyes. "But, I've got to do it. There's no easy way out of this, and even if there was, beggars can't be choosers, right?"

I nodded, understanding the saying far too well as I pulled out the stopwatch I borrowed from Mel, "Right. Now, let's see how fast you are now, and we'll make a running schedule for you from that point. A mile is five laps around the edge of the field. Yeah, so, good luck. Get ready." He jogged to the edge of the field as I raised a hand, and he tucked to the ground into a sprinter's position, ready to shoot off at any given second. A look of pure determination, with an ounce of both happiness and confidence, was etched into his face. "Get set!" The happiness grew in the slightest as his mouth stretched into a smirk. "Go!"

And go he went, shooting off as fast as he could around the edge of the clearing.

* * *

"Time!" He shouted, coming to a sudden stop in front of me as he completed his five long and arduous laps. I clicked the timer from where I sat on the grass, my legs getting tired after he completed his third or fourth lap. Although, not nearly as much as his had to be.

"Nine minutes and thirty-one seconds. Um, maybe if you run two miles... I want to say, twice a day? Um, six days a week for three weeks, we might be able to half it." He nodded at my suggestion, collapsing into the grass as sweat poured from his every pore.

"You… got it... I'll start… tomorrow." He wheezed, making me sweatdrop.

"The key is being hydrated, I think. I drank over a gallon of water everyday when I first started, so doing that should really help you." The gallon statement was a complete fib on my part, but he didn't seem to notice. Besides, it was basic health knowledge that the more water you drank the more often, the healthier you were. I didn't need proof of that, and it really should help him. "You should choose a day to take off, too. I'd make it Friday, so you can be energized for whatever club you're in. So, um, just don't die trying to get yourself there, alright? If it takes longer than three weeks, I'll still help you…" A grin tore at his face as he nodded, looking up at the sky to watch the clouds.

"You're not so bad, for a genius 'n all. Thanks again for all this." He said after awhile, looking at me out of the corner of his eye. I nodded, giving him a small smile of welcome. "How much do I owe you?"

I blinked at his question, remembering he promised payment. My brows furrowed as I shook my head, "You can pay me when you're actually Feathering." He laughed shortly, nodding.

* * *

"So, how much'd he give you?" Mel asked as I walked into the room, looking away from her style magazine to peek a look at me.

"I told him he could pay me when we're done." She raised a brow as I shut the door behind me, padding over the carpet to sit on the edge of my too-red bed.

"Oh? So even the genius take awhile to teach somebody…" She grinned with her small tease, turning her head to watch me as I collapsed onto my back, folding my arms behind my head.

"Its Feathering, Mel. It took me a month to figure out. Besides, I wish you wouldn't call me that." I was too busy closing my eyes and relaxing to notice the punch swung my way until it connected with my nose. I yelped, grabbing a hold of the bleeding mass as my eyes widened, finding a very ticked off Mel standing in front of my bed, leering over me with a nasty glare and gleaming eyes.

"Will you just shut up already with that damn shit? You're a fuckin' genius Val, get over yourself! Dear God, I can see now why Gentle Flower ain't wanting to work with ya, I'd be scared shitless having a whiny ass partner like you!" I winced more than once as she yelled in my face, screeching so loud I was sure the entire campus could hear her. "Goddamn it! Can't you just accept the fact that you're different? It's a fuckin' good thing!" She panted for breath as I held my nose, blood trickling from between my fingers. With the same glare still plastered on her face, she swallowed, causing me to wince. Was she going to start yelling again? But she didn't, instead dropping her voice to a normal tone, one that was still ground through and through with disgust. "If you ever apologize to me, I'll hit you. Until then, I'll choose when to talk to you, so don't bother with talking to me."

She stampeded out the door without another word.

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**Yeah, so, short chapter + cliffy = not revenge, I swear. I wouldn't do that to you guys. It just kind of... happened? I apologize, anyway :p I know what a pain they can be. But at least now you know why Mels important, right? Yup, mucho importante.**

**Um, so... nobody reviewed last chapter... yeah. You just wasted your time reading this statement. Hopefully, though, it'll prompt you to review THIS chapter.**

**Review, please. Might not see you next week if you don't :p  
**


	9. First Year

**Here we goooo... I don't own Bleach :p

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**Out of all the stupid people in the world, I had to be the stupidest.

That was the thought that haunted me as I sat atop the roof of our dorm building, watching the people in the courtyard make different shapes and forms without really knowing it. It was late, and dusk was about to set in. After Mel's fiery decision to storm out of the room, I had gone and got my nose healed at the infirmary. Then, wanting to be alone, I had been sitting up top the roof for the last hour or so.

And that thought kept running through my head, over and over again.

Although I knew it was thinking like that that got me stuck in this position in the first place, I couldn't help it. Not only did I abandon Maya, I probably hurt Tif a lot in doing so. Then, after all this trouble and work, I end up losing my only friend at the Academy, and not being able to contact Gentle Flower. I was all alone. Completely, totally, and abysmally alone.

Nobody on the ground noticed my small form on the edge of the roof- sitting, with my legs dangled over. I had tried the gardens at first, but there were too many other people seeking the comfort of nature for me to be able to feel at peace. Up here, with a chilly breeze nipping my skin only every now and then, I was all alone. It could almost be considered nice, this downtime, if I hadn't been in such a horrid mood. I was, without a doubt, the stupidest person in the world.

A sigh escaped my lips as I hunched over. I didn't have anything to read, either. The library was closed on Saturday and Sunday, and I had finished all my class books. Not a thing to do but think, and I could hardy do that without calling myself stupid over and over again. I could see why Mel had gotten so mad- I was beginning to annoy myself. I didn't like being trapped up in my head: my thoughts always circled around to negativity in some form or another. I didn't even have to wonder about how to vanish them, once I noticed it.

With my legs in lotus position and my hands cupped in my lap as I sat on the edge of the building, I tried to clear my mind so that I might be able to focus on the positive for once. The entire calling myself stupid ordeal, however, made meditation near impossible. As such, I tried to drive away the horrid thoughts with memories. Memories of Maya: laughing, saying her first word, giggling as Tif and I spun our Soul Energy about her for both our practice and her enjoyment. Any and all memories of Tif, I found, were bad. She always put me down. Saying she brought out the worst in me would be an understatement. I loved her, but only out of necessity. Mom wasn't much better, with all her happy-we're-perfect attitude issues, it was no wonder I was so screwed up. I couldn't even tell somebody when something offended me. Everything always had to be okay. Everything always had to be perfect. If they weren't, then I was stupid. Then it was my fault for ruining life for everybody else.

I shoved that train of thought away hastily, attempting to focus on the bright spots in my life. Making rice balls with Grandma, singing merrily with Dad while riding on his shoulders, sitting in Grandpa's lap while he read some fairytale or another to me, these were just about all of the happy moments still in my living memory. Exploring with Mel would've been added, but I was afraid to face the emotion that would come with that memory. She had been angry, so, so angry with me. As if my subconscious itself were against me, the memory of her yelling was brought up immediately.

"Get over yourself!" She said to me, "I'd be scared shitless to have a whiny ass partner like you!"

Whiny… was I whiny? Not really. I never truly complained about anything. Whiny wasn't the right word. I was… well; as much as I loath admit it I'm a pushover. I'd like to think myself strong, but in reality, I just wasn't. Nobody is perfect, though. Why did I think I had to be?

"Who made you like that?" The third year boy asked, I remembered clearly. "Who destroyed your confidence?"

My mother. Tif. The asshole that took my father from me. The damn hollow that killed my family and I.

But it was so easy to blame them. I couldn't, really. The only person I had to blame for making me this way was myself. I let them get to me. I let them push me around. I couldn't do it anymore. All of this had gone on for far too long, and now look at me, I'm all alone. I lacked any and all forms of confidence. Trust couldn't be built with Gentle Flower because of how stupid I let myself be. Mel yelled at me because she was angry. I got that, I'd be with myself too if I thought it'd get me anywhere.

No, emotion wouldn't do me any good now. I had to suck it up, and grow up. So what if I was different? Like Mel said, it was a good thing. I didn't have to be perfect. I'd screw up, make mistakes, hurt people when I don't intend to, and it's never going to be any different. I'm human. I'm not stupid for being that way. It's how everybody is, not just me. So what if I was smarter than most people? It wasn't a bad thing. I could use it to help people, like Eric Trutage, who would learn how to Feather and get into the squad he wanted.

I wasn't going anywhere being like this. If I sucked it up and stopped complaining, stood up for myself, damn it!, then I could do anything. I had to stop feeling bad for abandoning Maya, because I didn't. It was the best for everybody if I left. And if I kicked my ass into gear, then I'd be able to make Captain. I'd be able to get paid enough that I could find my family, give Maya a good life from here on out. Let Tif have a clean slate, even if I knew she wouldn't appreciate it.

Because I could do it. And with that thought in mind, I would do it.

My eyes snapped open into the darkness of the night, the sun had set a long time ago, it seemed. I sighed; being stuck in your head really had a way of making time fly. I shivered as the cool night air finally enveloped me, and seeking warmth, I stood up to go inside. As I started walking, however, a soft breeze of wind made me pause in my tracks. It felt different, softer than most breezes. Instead of pushing into me, it felt like the wind wrapped itself around me, caressing me for the slightest of seconds before it faded away, leaving one last message with me.

"Now just show me you mean it…" I smiled into the night sky, fingering Gentle Flower softly as a thank you to her forgiveness.

* * *

Should I do it? Mel slept heavily in her bed, with me standing over her like some sort of creeper. When I had finally made up my decision to apologize, and figured out how I would do it, it turned out to be nearing three in the morning. Mel, of course, was dead asleep, tucked under her covers like a hibernating animal, not even shifting as I came into the room. Swallowing, and gathering up the courage I had, I sat on the edge of the bed, placing a hand on her shoulder and shaking her softly. After a moan and a little harsher moving on my part, she finally peeked into reality, barely open and crusted eyes still somehow managing at me.

"What the hell? What time is it? Three in the damn morning?" She asked groggily, as if forgetting her words completely. It seemed, at least, that her internal clock was still scary accurate. Maybe she did, but that still didn't dismiss the fact that I made up my mind and, from here on out, whenever I did that, I had to stick to it. It was a new rule I put into place for myself.

"About three o' five, actually. Can we talk?"

"Hell no." She grit, turning on her side away from me as she remembered the events of the day. I bit my lip, discouraged, but still seeing no other option for myself.

"Then I'll do the talking. I know you said you'd hit me for this, but I want to apologize." She snapped onto her back, glaring at me through fully awake eyes and preparing to continue her rant from before. Holding up my hands in defense, I started to continue so that she wouldn't interrupt my well-formed apology(s). "First of all, I want to apologize for not apologizing earlier, I'm a wuss and you know it, so I was scared. Secondly, I want to apologize for apologizing, as I know it's a terrible hour for waking you up. Thirdly, I want to apologize for being such a terrible friend all this time: I'm workin' on it and trying to get my wits about me. If you can find it in yourself, I'd like for you to forgive me so we can go back to being friends. Fourth and lastly, I'd like to apologize for being such a, as you put it, whiny ass. Whether you forgive me or not is your choice, but I'm going to stick up for myself from now on. It's going to be hard, though, and I'd like your help with it because it's something I'm not used to and it could go all wrong, knowing me. Now," I took a gasp of air from my quick, one breath rant, bracing myself, "you can hit me. Just not in the face again, if you don't mind."

She blinked, attempting to process all that I said. It was, after all, three in the morning, and she had just been disturbed from a very deep sleep. As I expected, a swift punch to my gut knocked me off her bed, landing on my butt on the floor.

"That is for waking me up at three something in the morning. Do something stupid like that again, and I'll kick your ass. However," she flipped over away from me, facing the wall as I rubbed my sore stomach. I would no doubt have a bruise in the morning from that. "I accept all of your apologies, and will gladly help you. Starting tomorrow. Er, I mean, whenever the sun comes up. Whatever. Night, Val."

I smiled; glad to have my friend back. Crawling into bed, I slipped under the covers and lay facing the ceiling. "Thank you. Goodnight to you too, Mel."

* * *

Two weeks flew by like the breezes that I had come to love so much. Times were easier and easier, and standing up for myself was becoming more of a habit than a conscious decision. It was hard, of course, at first, but with Mel's help it was becoming second nature. The more people knew me the more they knew how much I hated the term 'genius'. So, most of the time people didn't connect the term with me. It was nice, knowing such understanding people surrounded me. There were always the snobs, though. And with them, Mel often came to my rescue. I could easily call the fellow students in the Magic club my friends, to. Half the time I was being helped with my Demon's Way as much as I was helping other first years with their Binder's Way. Money was just about the only issue I had. So, to save money, instead of going out every weekend like the other students, I stayed on campus and practiced my skills. It was a near perfect day the Saturday I sat under a tree on the edge of the courtyard, cuddling a new book on Mid-level Magic when I heard somebody call my name.

"Val!" Eric shouted, jogging up to me with the broadest smile I'd ever seen on his face, which was red and sweating and looked like he'd just been through hell and back. I looked up from my book, watching as he approached. "You're never going to believe it! So, all this week instead of doing two miles, like you said, I've been doing two and a half! And now, I can run a mile in three minutes and fifty-two seconds! You were right! Hydration is the key!"

I smiled at him, closing my book as I pushed up off the shaded ground, "That's great! Awesome job, Eric!" His grin widened as he nodded.

"I know! Are you busy right now? I didn't mean to interrupt you or nothin', but I was wondering if we can go ahead and get started on the actual Feathering? I've been practicing that ball thing everyday, and now it's super easy!" His excitement made my smile widen even further, and with a nod from me, he turned into a super beam.

"I'd be happy to help you now."

"Awesome! Come on!" And with that, he began to drag me down to the field.

* * *

"Now, like I said when we first started, the beginning part is really easy. It's the stopping that gets you." He nodded as I explained, expression going from complete happiness to complete seriousness in seconds. "To begin, you'll want to start off with a slow Feather. To do that, think about the flow of energy within your body. Your Soul Energy travels through your veins and to every part of you, so what you're going to do is direct a very tiny amount of that Soul Energy to the bottom of your feet. And only the very bottom, or else you'll trip right off the bat."

He nodded, backing up. Closing his eyes and taking a few breaths, he nodded when he focused enough on his feet for me to continue.

"Now, you're just going to run. Because you're using your Soul Energy, you're going to get really tired, really fast, so start off slow. But not too slow, or you'll fall flat on your face. When you want to stop, you need to pull in your energy and stop running at the same time, or else, again, you'll fall. You ready?" At his nod, I backed a few more paces up, just incase he fell towards me. And falling, at this point, was almost certain. "Alright, start when you want to." As predicted, it took one step for him to go flying through the air, pushing off too hard with his foot, and landing in the grass flat on his face. "You tried to go too fast. Until you get the hang of how Feathering feels, you shouldn't do that." At my correction, he picked himself up off the dirt, wiping his face clean.

"Noted." He closed his eyes and began again, pooling the energy in his feet. When he started off slower this time, he disappeared into a Feather, reappearing every now and then as his feet touched the ground. A happy, joyous yell echoed across the campus as he continued his slow Feather, starting off in a circle around the edge's field. I couldn't help a grin at his antics, happy for him.

"When you want to stop, don't forget timing!" I shouted across the field at him. Not being able to see him nod, and not hearing him answer me, I waited patiently for him to start to Feather my way. When he did, and I could see he was trying to stop in front of me, he landed before my with a giant grin that quickly turned to panic. Too quickly had he landed and too slowly did he pull in his energy, and he bounced of the balls of his feet, shooting a good ten feet in the air and five yards down before he landed, again, with his head in the grass. I laughed at his awkward position, shaking my head, as even though he heeded my words, he didn't correctly apply them. "Timing, Eric. Timing."

He pulled his head out of the ground, brushing it clean to reveal an unbroken grin, and seconds later, a barrel of laughter that exploded from his chest. After his laughter settled down he picked himself up off the ground, brushing off his dirty Academy uniform. With another grin sent my way, he held up his hand as he approached me, and I gratefully high-fived him. "You've got to be the coolest first year in the history of first years."

Laughing at his compliment, I shook my head. "Nah, like I said, it just takes practice. How you like the feel of Feathering?"

I didn't think it possible, but his grin widened even further. "I love it! I'm guaranteed to get into the squad now! I really can't thank ya enough for this, Val! And to think, in just two weeks!"

"Ah, but you've got to keep on practicing. That was a pretty slow Feather, but hey, it is pretty good for two weeks, not to mention your first day." He burst into laughter again, blushing slightly at the compliment. When his laughter faded off, he began to dig in his back pocket, pulling out a black, leather wallet. "Ah, you don't have to do that."

He shook his head at me; grin fading into a truly happy smile. "I knew you'd say that. But really, me learning to Feather isn't just for me. I come from a long line of people in this squad, and now, I can finally join them. Not only did you really help me out, you did my entire family a favor, so I can't let you go without being paid. Here now, if you don't take the money, I'll give it to Mel and she'll sneak it to ya." I sighed, shaking my head and grabbing the two bills he handed me. Not glancing at them, I shoved them in my back pocket.

"Well, when you put it like that… I suppose it's rude to decline, right?" He grinned again, slapping me on the shoulder.

"Damn right! Now I'm going to go show all my buddies what ya did for me! Ha! They'll never be able to catch me again!" I laughed as he darted off, slipping into his slow Feather halfway across the field. Happy for him with half of my smile, and proud of the both of us with the other half, I shook my head and started on my way to the dorm. Once there, I pulled out my stash of money (which was getting smaller and smaller) out from under my mattress and took the two bills he handed me out of my pocket.

My jaw dropped at the absurd amount. Put into such a state of shock, I didn't notice Mel came in and leaned over my shoulder to see what I was doing. A low whistle pierced through my conscious, bringing me back to the real world as I tried to explain myself. "I- he, Eric… I don't deserve this…"

Mel grinned, taking the money from me and shoving it into my stashed coin purse before pushing the mattress back into place. "Damn right you deserve it! Two hundred dollars is nothin' for the favor you did for that boy! Why, his family will be bowing to you for centuries!"

I collapsed onto my bedroom floor, shock still immobilizing my facial expressions.

* * *

"And who is that?" The Captain asked, brows furrowing at the familiar, but still odd form that curled up beneath a courtyard tree, reading a book on mid-level spells. With flowery lavender hair that curled into a ponytail and waved around her face, he couldn't place her. But he knew he had seen her before, from somewhere.

"That's a first year, Captain. Our most recent and excelling prodigy, at that. Although I've never met her myself, I've heard great things from her teachers over the past few weeks." The Captain nodded at the Headmaster's response, furrowing his brows at the girl's too-familiar bright blue eyes. The connection hit him immediately after that, and he snapped his fingers as the proverbial light bulb turned on above his head.

"You know her, Captain?" His newest Lieutenant asked, cocking his head to the side. The lieutenant's predecessor had been promoted to a Captain not long ago, leaving the post to him.

"In a way, yes. Why don't you two continue on? Find lots of good students for me, please." And with that, the Captain tucked his long, pale fingers into his shorts, beginning on his way over to the young first year.

* * *

"Ye lord, mask of blood and flesh, all creation, flutter of wings, ye who bears the name of man. Inferno and pandemonium-" My muttering practices of the Demon's Way spell was interrupted by an all-too familiar voice, who finished the incantation.

"The sea barrier surges, march on to the south. Demon's Way Spell Thirty-One, Red Fire Cannon. I admit I was hoping to see you here, but I'm surprised to see you're moving on to such advanced magic already." I shut my book, recognizing the voice as I looked up to see none other than the white haired, navy eyed Captain, standing lazily with his hands in his pockets. "I didn't recognize you at first, either. Where did you get the dye? I never took you as one for purple."

"It's not dye," I told him, watching as he took a step beside me before turning around and sitting on my left with his back against the tree's smooth brown bark, "it was my Second Soul's doing. I didn't really have a choice in the matter. What are you doing here?"

The same annoying ghost of a smile twitched onto his lips as he responded, "Then we have that in common, I was originally a brunette. And I'm trying to get the drop on the promising students before the other Captains try to recruit them all, you?"

"The dreams were going to hurt Maya, so I came. I do hope you're not trying to recruit me, now. I'm only a first year." He laughed lightly, stretching his right leg out beneath the shading leaves and tucking his left leg up for his elbow to rest on. The tattoo of his squad number became clearly visible once more, wrapping itself around his all-too power calf muscle. "Do all of you captains get your squad number tattooed on you?"

He nodded, flowing my gaze to his right leg. "Yes, but it's not required. Just a tradition, I suppose. Did you know America is the only Soul Country in which having identification for which squad you are in isn't mandatory? Blew too many undercover operations back in the day, I suppose."

"I didn't know that. Odd." My simple comment prompted him to keep the conversation alive as my gaze withdrew to my lap, where I fiddled with the edge of the hard-backed book.

"How are you liking the Academy? Find any classes interesting?" I could feel his eyes on me as I looked up and around, spying over the familiar buildings that edged the courtyard, with little groves of trees and benches sparsely decorating the large area. Students hung about in different corners, each with their own expressions and individuality shining forth like tiny stars in the sky.

"I like it, it's nice. I'm pretty good at Magic, and I think the teacher is going to move me up at the semester." His eyes brightened as I turned to him, an actual smile coming forth.

"Oh, really? What way?"

"Binding is my best, and Demon a close second."

He laughed lightly, "Ah, a shame. I was always a Healer's Way, myself."

"LUUUCAAASSS!" We both blinked upward to see Mel running forward at a pace that would've put my top mile speed to shame as she waved her arms over her head, a giant grin plastered on her face.

"Ah! Melanie!" He smiled, starting to get up from his seated position before Mel leaped onto him, sending both of them back to the ground. Mel laughed as she pulled him into a giant hug; squeezing him so tightly I thought he would suffocate. He showed no signs of distress, however, instead preferring to wrap his arms around her and hug her right back with a never-before-heard bout of light laughter.

"It's so good to see you!" Mel squealed, pulling away from him only enough to look him in the eye. "Why didn't you tell me you were coming to visit? I would've offered to show you around myself!"

"Sorry, Mel. I completely forgot." He said with a smile. I stared at the two of them, attempting to put the pieces together. Could he be-? This 'Lucas' Captain seemed to see my confused expression, as he sweatdropped, looking to me with an apologetic smile. "Ah, I'm sorry! I don't believe we ever properly introduced ourselves, did we? I'm Lucas, Lucas Dethredal. Captain of Division Three, Medical Ops. And this is-"

"She knows who I am, silly! That's my roommate, Vallery Wilkenson!" Mel chirped, shoving a thumb at me. At Lucas' and my suddenly shocked expression, a giant question mark swirled its way into existence above her head. I closed my eyes, palming my face as Lucas went into another bout of light laughter, leaning away from Mel and supporting himself with a hand as his chest shook with every sound.

"Oh, my. It seems fate has played us for fools, hasn't she?" He asked, still laughing.

"That she has." I agreed, a smile of it's own making it's way to my face from the sheer irony of things. Mel looked between the two of us; brown hair tossing to and fro as the perplexed expression only grew.

"Can someone please tell me what's going on here?"

* * *

After Lucas and I had explained everything to Mel (causing many who's and huh's to finally be cleared up), Lucas's new Lieutenant came Feathering in out of nowhere, reporting an incident between the eighth and eleventh squad captains (causing Lucas to mumble 'not again' in a very annoyed way) and explaining that the Medical Captain was needed pronto to help heal both of the participants back to their normal selves. He left after not too many 'until next time's, leaving both Mel and I to the mercy of the lunch bell.

Not much happened for a long while after that. We found out Mel was remarkably good at swordplay, so Mr. Mark let her into the kendo club with a bit of persuasion on my part. I found that I thoroughly sucked at any weapon not attached to a chain; save my ever-growing ability to use magic. People started asking me to tutor them in one thing or another, and soon my weekends were actually busier than my weekdays (save Friday, as the only thing I attended then was the Magic Club). After the semester switch, I got promoted in all of my classes, save Mr. Mark's. With the third years in my first, third, fourth, and as usual fifth period, I was put in with the fourth years in my second and last period of the day. Fridays, more often than not, Mel and I made up for the lost time by walking around talking, or me helping her study. Through her, I found out that I could graduate next year, should I reach fifth year status in all my classes by the end of next yea's first semester. That, in time, became my goal. After all, the sooner I graduated to a full-fledged Reaper, the sooner I could start looking for Maya. She deserved better than whatever Tif was giving her, of that I was certain. I refused to let her become anything like me.

At the semester change, numerous things started to happen. It seemed my body finally registered the fact that I could still grow, and I quickly advanced to the rank of A-cup (thank god for tutoring money) at which time Mel got together the majority of my good chick friends and threw a very embarrassing surprise party for me. I also started to get pulled aside more often by teachers, who wanted to know what my plans were so they could help me get out of here quickly.

"We need to get you out of here as quickly as possible!" They often said, recommending classes for me so that I could get the full effect of the Academy successfully crammed into the next year. By the middle of the second semester, I was signed up for all but one fifth year class next year, the last one being a third year hand-to-hand combat class that was required to graduate with, but not required to have a fifth year level in.

During the summer break, I took my collected money and traveled down to Southern District 93. Mom and Mason had disappeared, and the neighbors (who still remembered my face, bless them) told a very sad story: after I left Tif had been found out, and she was kicked out of the house. The next day Maya disappeared (my assumptions were that Tif kidnapped her, but I couldn't condemn my sister's actions if she had), and Mom insisted to act like nothing had happened at all. She became pregnant, but apparently too crazed, and Mason took the newborn and left her, moving to another District. Mom was left all alone, and was kicked out of the house by the Government when another family needed the living space. The rest, much to my dismay, was a mystery. It provided a new goal, however: to find Maya and Tif. And now, at least, I knew it would be easier to do as a Reaper.

And, without much further adieu, my second, and last year at the Academy began.

* * *

**This chapter felt... jumpy. I'm sorry if it was the same for you. Plot and all, you know. But did the detail balance it out? I'm desperately trying to make sure that I don' go overboard with one or the other, and feedback is the only way I can see my errors. Also, the epic recovery scene. Lots of thought, internalization... but don't worry, Val won't go and disappear on us :] She's still the same sweet chika, just more... confident? Yes, I suppose that's right. It's nice, having a character develop before my very eyes :D It makes me proud to be an author (mother...? It's weird, your characters are like your best friends, but also your children).**

**Super duper thanks to the awesome reviewers: Dreamer's Samhain and Neko-Renku :] It means a lot, really :] The rest of you go follow their example :p Meanies. Not reviewing even after all the hard work I put into this fic... :/ Really kills my urge to write the fic at all, you know? So review. Please.**

**See you next week :]  
**


	10. Second Year, We Meet Again

**I'm sorry for the delay! Here's the chapter!**

* * *

"U-um, well, as most of you know, I'm horrible at giving speeches." I started off the Welcoming Ceremony to my fellow Second Years. The boy and girl with the highest grades their former year were selected and told what to say, and as it was, I was forgetting most of my well-rehearsed speech. A few in the crowd cracked up at my obvious discomfort, and a grinning Mel in the back took the time to whistle, clap and cheer.

"IT'S OKAY VAL! WE STILL LOVE YOU!" Those that didn't laugh before laughed now, bringing a bright blush to my face as I shifted on the indoor stage, looking out among the familiar faces. Most I had seen and met before, some I had personally tutored. Some, like Mel, I could consider friends.

"Th-thank you, Mel… Well, I, um, have just about forgotten everything I was supposed to say, uh, today. I think it was something about how proud you should be to be, um, you know, still here. Then something along the lines of not slacking off and, uh, getting too comfortable, like last year's group. I-I can't really remember the rest, so, I'm sorry, but I think we should really just all focus on doing our best this year, while, um, still maintaining a healthy level of fun. Do you remember your speech, Let?" I asked hopefully, looking over my shoulder to where the slim boy, a nerd I had heard of a couple times last year, just shook his head, a funny smile in place upon his mouth. "Then, um, I guess we can go now?" I looked back out to the crowd, seeing many of them cracking up. An idea hit me so hard I visibly jumped, making many in the crowd jerk back like I was going to fall on them. "Oh, yeah! Um, one last thing! Kick some ass!" I fist pumped into the air to emphasize my point, and grins split the faces of everybody in the crowd. It was a promise I made to a third year Magic Club member, who had spoken at his second year entrance ceremony. Something about tradition, and being excited. The crowd jumped up, all the energy and happiness to have made it, finally made it, exploded in the room. People hugged and screamed and jumped over and over again in our new, second year uniforms. Colors purple and green splashed across the room, with more than a few people bursting into a random dance or two. Seeing their happiness, I shut off the mic and placed it back in the holder. Turning around, I gave a smile to Let, who returned the look.

"You were wrong, look at them. You rock at giving speeches." He complimented, jerking his head to the crowd. I blushed even harder, smiling at the compliment nonetheless as people started running out the doors, exiting the room in a giant frenzy to go spread the good word- that we had finally made it, that we were finally on our way to becoming Reapers.

"Th-thanks…" I stuttered, looking away from him. His smile turned into a small grin as he shook is head.

"No, thank you. I'd have feinted if I were up there in your spot." I laughed, knowing it was true, but still happy that I hadn't feinted myself.

"Val! Val! Hurry! We've got silly string and you're going to miss out!" Mel rushed back into the room, leaning over the stage and grabbing my arm. "Come on! Let's go!" Giving one last smile to Let, I let Mel drag me into the mass of bodies outside the building doors, all-too quickly becoming coated in the celebratory purple and green silly string.

* * *

"Out of all the classes you have ever taken in your years at the Academy, I dare say that this one will be the most important. As an Advanced class, I expect you behave accordingly while out on the field. No slip-ups, no bad behavior. As future Reapers, it is your duty to protect and serve the people. Exterminating Hollows could almost be seen as an art: you must strike quickly, swiftly, and unseen before they harm anyone or anything. To perform a Soul Burial, you must be kind, yet cold-hearted. You will meet souls that don't know they're dead, and it is your responsibility to inform them. You will, at times, be late to save a soul. If that is the case, then you must minimize any and all casualties. You are a protector of the people, and are expected to act like it. As the advanced class, you are the best prepared of your fellows. It is highly likely that you will advance in rank quicker than them, do not let it get your ego too high. There is always someone stronger than you. Any questions so far?" The first period Professor didn't even take a glance over his shoulder to see the many raised hands. "Good. I expect a lot out of your group, do not let me down. Now, open your books to page fifty three and begin reading how to proceed with a Soul Burial."

* * *

"Good evening, Wilkenson-san." Mr. Mark greeted me in our shared tongue as I passed his building on the way to my hand-to-hand combat class.

"Good evening, sensei!" I replied with a small bow.

"Still training with Gentle Flower?" He asked; making sure I was keeping up with my studies.

"Religiously, sir."

* * *

I punched my partner again, for the third time in a row. The first he dodged, the second hit him in the stomach, and this one, to my immediate displeasure, he caught. With my small body, it was easy for him to pick me him and sling me over his head, twisting my arm as I landed on my back with a cough. I was immobile now, and the match was once again his.

"Damn, Val. You're vicious for someone your size." He commented; letting loose my arm as I rolled onto my stomach, pushing myself up with the little bit of energy I had left. A short grunt was all I could afford as we moved off the floor, letting another pair take their spar in front of the teacher. I rubbed my aching shoulder as I plopped into my seat with a huff. No matter how hard I tried, hand-to-hand combat just was not something I was good at.

"Ugh, god. You really did a number on my shoulder that time." My remark made him wince, and an apologetic look took over his features.

"Sorry 'bout that. We still on for tonight?" He asked, making sure that even past my general dislike of his wound to me, I could still tutor him in his Demon Way magic. He was having particular trouble in his thirties range, and that was required knowledge to graduate.

"Yeah, sure. Might arrive in a sling though." He laughed shortly at my purposeful over-dramatics. After everybody else had showed what we had learned this week in front of our teacher, class was dismissed to do as we pleased until the bell. I was about to head out the room with the others (we were going to go do a group run through the gardens), when the teacher called my name. "Yes, sir?" I answered, waving for my friends to go on ahead as I hung back. He motioned me forward, pulling out a manila folder and handing it to me as I approached.

"Would you be so kind as to deliver these to the front office for me? They're the order forms for new punching bags. I'd deliver them myself, but you see, I've got a poker game with the other teachers in about six minutes and-" I sweatdropped at his reason, but took the folder from him anyway, successfully cutting off one of his long stories he was known for.

"Go on now, sir. Can't have you loose money on my account." I said as I turned, tucking the folder under my arm.

"Thank you, Miss Vallery!"

I waved him off, knowing he was the type of teacher that didn't mind as I stepped outside the building, Feathering off to the front office.

* * *

"Val! How good to see you! Wait- I mean, shouldn't you be in class, young lady?" A fellow member of the Magic Club greeted me as I Feathered inside the office. I couldn't help the grin that came with her all-too fake seriousness. She, under a program the Academy provided, worked a shift here in the Main office instead of taking her three afternoon classes; mostly because she had all the requirements filled, and was just waiting to graduate this year.

"Class got dismissed early after we all sparred." I said as I came forth, de-tucking the folder from my arm and placing it atop the marble counter. "I got my ass kicked, again."

She laughed, shaking her head, "Poor thing! And to think the class is a requirement!" Taking the folder and opening it, she scanned the documents inside to see what they were. A bell rang as someone came in the door behind me, walking at a leisurely enough pace up to the counter beside me. "What are these forms for?"

"New equipment. The teacher had a poker game and asked me to deliver 'em. On that note, you coming to the meet tomorrow? I could use some help with Binder's Way fifty-eight, and I know that's one your best." She smiled at me, nodding.

"I'll help, if you teach me that trick you taught Mick about Demon's Way fifty-eight, Orchid Sky. I can never get my Second Soul to rotate properly."

"Then it's a deal. See you tomorrow!" I waved as I turned around, moving past the Reaper who walked in and beginning on my way back to the gardens. If possible, I'd like to join in on the run.

"Excuse me, but I was told to look for someone named Wilkenson? My Captain sent me to recruit." I paused at my name, eyebrow raised as I paused in my stride right before the door. Recruitment? Already? I thought I wouldn't get offers like that at least until the semester. I turned around, quickly taking a good look at the Reaper. Something about him screamed familiar.

"Eh? Why, that's her…" My fellow student lifted a finger, pointing to me. The Reaper turned around, shocked brown gaze catching mine immediately, and a jolt of recognition hit me. The only thing different about him was the small '7' tattooed on his left cheek.

It seemed he recognized me, too, by the way his jaw dropped in the slightest. That wasn't surprising though, I must've been a hard one to forget.

* * *

"I'm sorry we had to meet again under these circumstances, usually I would've informed you that you were dead, but…" He said as he made his move in the checker game, easily capturing one of my pieces.

"Nah, it's okay. I figured it out soon enough." My move was a dodge that otherwise might have led to him winning the game.

"But, still…" His bright brown eyes softened considerably into sadness as he looked down at the board. "My actions were inexcusable. You must always tell a soul that it is dead, despite how heartless it seems."

"I know, but I still forgive you. No use letting it get you down, right? The past is the past." I really, honestly didn't care. I had moved on, my death was something long ago put behind me. As soon as I stepped into District 93, I had better problems to deal with. And in that time of worrying so much about everything else, I somehow came to peace with my death. Desperate times called for desperate measures, per say. He sighed, moving forward his red piece to follow after the one I had moved prior.

"Well, if you insist… how is your family? I sent them not long after you."

"I wouldn't know." At his shocked look, I focused on the board. It was hard to speak of things like this while keeping an unwavering voice. "I ran away to come here after the dreams got so bad they were about to hurt Maya, the baby. I haven't heard from them since. When I become a Reaper, though, I'll look for them. Give Maya the life she deserves." I quickly made my move; capturing the piece he was chasing me with.

"A noble goal, you should be proud of yourself. Not many others want to become Reapers for such kind actions." I shrugged, not wanting to speak more on the topic. He seemed to get this, and rainbowed one of my pieces with a small smile on his face. "My Captain was right to want to recruit you."

"Who is your Captain, by the way? I heard seventh squad Captains don't usually last three months." My statement was true. Seventh squad was the interrogation squad, and more often than not the Captains would commit suicide before long. I had heard that not having a stable Captain for so long had gotten the whole squad so messed up, they were considered the bane of the other twelve. He laughed lightly at my blunt honesty (something I had redeveloped with the help of Mel).

"That's untrue, they don't usually last two." I sweatdropped at the optimistic way he say the horribly depressing statement. "But, hopefully, this one will stay for the time being. He's the fourth I've served as Lieutenant under, and so far, he's the most likeable. You really should give some consideration to joining."

"Not likely, I hate the seventh squad's two favorite things." I was able to successfully capture three of his pieces in one move, but unfortunately, he was able to take my piece that was two spaces from being crowned.

"Cars and booze?"

"Correct."

He laughed again, shoulders shaking. "When I became Lieutenant, I was hoping to change that. But as it is, I need a Captain to help me; and none so far have been willing to give up their weekly drinking contests. Not all of us are like that, just the majority."

"Ah, well, when you finally do change it, it'll probably be too late for you to recruit me."

"I'll tell my Captain of your declination, then." He said with a smile as he began to rise. "It was good to speak to you under more normal circumstances. I'm happy to see that my mistake didn't haunt you as much as I feared. If you ever do find your family, please give them my regards."

"Will do. Good luck with the reformation." I said from my seat, reclining in the slightest.

"And the same to you. Goodbye."

"'Bye." At my final parting, he Feathered off.

* * *

"Wilkenson! Cover me!" My teammate shouted as we ran throughout the fake city streets, searching for the fake souls we were supposed to perform a fake Soul Burial on while fighting off the only real thing in this stimulation: Hollows. They were low level, and we had been thoroughly prepared, but every time I heard one of their screams, the image of Maya in the car withy a giant sharp of glass sticking out of her head appeared inside my mind.

"Covered!" I shouted, speeding up to step in right behind him. We were in teams of three, and our other teammate had been dismissed for performing the Soul Burial each of us had to do. He came to a stop, and I kept running, swinging Gentle Flower's bladed head as I charged the Hollow who we were teamed up against. I could hear him begin to chant the incantation for Demon's Way thirty-three. The Hollow screeched as I approached it, sending Gentle Flower's head straight through it's shoulder before ripping my Second Soul out, and whipping her other head around to crash into the side of the Hollow's mask. The creature stumbled from my attack, giving my partner the perfect chance to finish his spell.

"Blue Fire, Crash Down!" His aim was perfectly on target, scoring penetrating the Hollow's mask and shooting far off into the distance as the creature began to fade away, revealing two Souls we had to touch to be transported back to the Academy grounds. Each Hollow guarded one to three, and our teammate being the weakest, we let him have the previous one's score.

"Nice shot!" I complimented as he jogged forward, meeting me in front of the Souls. We high-fived, grinning at each other before looking back to the Souls.

"Well," He motioned to the one on the left, "ladies first."

"Thank you." I did a little curtsy, making him burst into laughter as I grinned, stepping forward and placing my hand on the stuffed, but magic plushy that was shaped into a humane looking form. "Soul Burial: Complete." I barely saw him step forward to do the same before the colors of the world twisted together, blending into a giant mass and turning my happiness into nausea before the colors turned blue, and I was dropped onto my ass in the Magic Zone the teacher had decorated with paint to bring us back. My partner landed beside me not a minute later with a groan of his own. I steadied my head with one hand and pushed myself up with the other, stumbling forth a few steps before the nausea left enough for me to look up.

"Wilkenson, Bradley, with the two of you here, it makes your team the first to complete the challenge. Congratulations." Our teacher marked us off on his clipboard, a smile of pride on his face. I nodded, unable to speak without puking, and attempted to walk in a straight line over to where the rest of the classmates were. My other teammate grinned at me because of our timely arrival, shooting me a thumbs up before returning to his friends.

* * *

"Well, what do you think? We heard from Captain Dethredal the story of how you almost outran him when you first met. We'd be interested to see how you would grow in our squad." To say this particular Reaper had an obsession with black would be a thorough understatement. The only things visible were his eyes, and those stared at me like tiny daggers waiting for a response. Then again, he was from the Fifth Squad, and as he explained to me, it was a network of spies trained thoroughly in hand-to-hand combat and stealth operations. He was the third seat of his squad, showing that they at least cared to send someone slightly important to meet me. "We also heard about what you did for the Trutage boy, Eric. Teaching someone to Feather efficiently in just two weeks… we'd like to have you start off helping others increase their speed. You'd be given a seat right off the bat."

I sweatdropped, shaking my head. Being sneaky had been my life for too long, I didn't want to be in a division where that was all I'd do. "I'm sorry, but the extent of my hand-to-hand abilities ends with how to form a fist. And at that, I appreciate your offer, but I've been a sneak for the majority of my life; I don't want that to be all there is in my life."

He nodded sharply, holding out his hand. I shook it, trying to appear as considerate as possible. If they cared enough to offer, it was only polite to decline with grace. "Then I thank you for your time. If you ever reconsider, just apply at the end of the year with your preferences as Squad Five. We will have you placed immediately."

I didn't bother telling him that it wasn't likely to happen, instead choosing to watch him slip away silently into one of the fastest Feathers I'd ever seen.

* * *

Sweat dripped from my every pore as I threw another fist at him, only to have it deflected. A counter attack kick sent me flying into the wall, saliva falling from my mouth as I coughed. Wiping it away with my arm, I charged him again, throwing another series of punches, all of which he blocked, before dropping to the floor and kicking with my left leg. He easily hopped backwards, flying into a cartwheel before sending his left foot to my face, connecting with my jaw and sending me into yet another wall. I coughed again, breath wheezing as I attempted to catch it. Pity entered Mr. Law's eyes, he had been pulling punches all this time, and I still couldn't get a single shot at him.

"Maybe we should call it a day. You can come back tomorrow, after you go to the infirmary to get those bruises checked out." I nodded, attempting to push myself at least into a sitting position so that I could catch my breath easier, but my shaking, aching arms buckled from below me, and I was only able to catch myself with my elbows to keep from slamming my face into the ground. Even through all the pain, I didn't complain. I needed this. Hand-to-hand was my weakest point, so I had asked the most obvious choice for a few lessons on it. I hadn't even gotten past step one: scoring a hit. "Alright then, let me help you. Looks like we pushed you too hard today." I shook my head, leaning away from him when he bent down to pick me up. I had to do this on my own. I had to get stronger. Without a word to him, I clamped my mouth shut, breathing heavily though my nose as I placed both of my palms on the ground, bringing my legs underneath me and into a squatting position. The urge to cry out was immense, but I was able to push through it enough to get myself into a squat. From there, I knew I couldn't go on, and I held out a hand for him to help me with. "Sometimes I wish I hadn't told you to toughen up." He admitted, taking my hand and pulling me up. Once standing, relief flooded through my arms like wildfire. "Ever since then you've been constantly pushing yourself to the limit. Do you know how worried that makes everybody? It scares us sick."

"I'll be fine…" I managed, giving him what I'm sure looked like the most pathetic smile he's ever seen. "You worry too much…" His face tugged into a frown as he shook his head, placing a hand lightly on my back.

"Let's get you to the nurse. I think you'll be staying with her tonight."

* * *

**Once again, I'm extremely sorry for the delay! No excuses! I have, however, been spending the time wisely, as I'm sure you'd love to ear: almost everyday I come home and write a new chapter of this story :p Yep, that's right. I've written about thirty now. Which is good for you guys, because it means you'll be getting at least twenty more updates on a (nearly) weekly schedule, but it's not so good for my other stories. I think I'm neglecting them, poor things :'/**

**Thank you guys so much for reviewing! Last chapter was, amazingly, the chapter with the most amount of reviews! Keep it up, please! Whale thank you's to Dreamer's Samhain, xXSweetestXAngelXNightmarelXx, and Neko-Renku :D I'm sorry this didn't have a lot of major action in it, but the Lieutenant is exceptionally important later, as you will all see. And I feel as though like last chapter, this is jumpy, but please do not fret! I am merely trying to give you guys the full amount of her Academy experience, which is one of the most important times in her life :p There's action next chapter, I promise. This missy isn't getting off the hook just yet, no siree!**

**Please keep up the good work and review everyone! Thank you! See you next Wednesday (an on-time update)!  
**


	11. Recruitment!

**Hope you like!

* * *

**"Vallery! Come over here and spell with us for a bit! All four of us against you!" A fourth year shouted, waving me over from where I was practicing how many people I could hold with Restrain, and then push with Thrust. Currently, I was able to hold Restrain on twenty three people for two minutes before pushing them back a good three yards each with Thrust. And by people, I meant straw dolls. Using the techniques could hurt real, living people. Which was the point, but not necessary at the time.

The fourth year was standing beside two other of his year members, and one fifth year. I sweatdropped, knowing they were all extremely efficient in what they did. Especially the fifth year, he was notorious for blending high-level Binder spells with low level, but still powerful Demon spells.

"Isn't that a bit unfair?" I asked, and the guy who invited me grinned, motioning to the fenced in yard that was restricted to anyone not looking to go all-out in testing his or her abilities.

"Not if you don't hold back!"

I pursed my lips, thinking it over. Worst comes to worst, the teacher would step in and save my life. After deliberating for a good twenty seconds, I gave in to their hopeful expressions with a heaved sigh. "Alright, alright… just go easy on me."

"Yes!" Two of the fourth years shouted, highfiving before shooting off to the fence, hopping it with the ease of someone who'd been doing it for years. The last fourth year, the fifth year, and I all took the safer, less enthusiastic way to the yard: through the actual building.

"Where's the teacher?" The fourth year asked, knowing we'd need a supervisor for the practice. I looked around the room, not finding him in his usual spot or helping any of the students. My brows furrowed as I pursed my lips to the side; that was odd of him. He was almost always here.

"I think he went to go greet the fourth squad Captain." The fifth year answered as we exited the building, entering the yard through the side door, stepping out in the sunlight once more. The two other fourth years were already there, devising some plan or another to take me down.

"What's so special about the fourth squad?" I asked the fifth year, and he shrugged.

"I think the Captain's a former student or something. Whatever, just don't kill us and we should be fine." The last part he added with a grin. I smiled, shaking my head.

"That's my line." I went to the other side of the yard as the other four gathered in a huddle, discussing tactics and possible spells. Knowing them, they'd try to be as direct as possible. At least, that's what I hoped for. It'd be easier to fight them off that way. After a few seconds and more than one glance at me, they broke the huddle, going into a basic formation of two fourth years in front, in between them and behind them the fifth year, and directly behind him the last fourth year, a girl. I bit my lip, knowing that formation well. It was one taught to us in the second week of Academy, one useful for a number of attacks. The girl and the fifth year would no doubt work together on a spell, and catch me off guard while the other two fourth years distracted me.

"You ready?" The fifth year asked, dropping into lotus position. The girl behind him formed a basic hand seal, closing her eyes and beginning to focus. I nodded, stepping apart as possible ways to counter whatever they were doing started to come up, bubbling inside my mind as I went through the possibilities of what the hand seal could mean. I'd need to trap the two fourth years in the front first, though, before I even got started on the last two. "Then, begin!"

Begin we did.

The two fourth years, in a combined shout of 'Pale Lightening!' sent the double level-four spell directly at me. I dropped to the ground; late dodge causing more than a few loose hairs to singe as the shots went over my head, crashing into the magic fence behind me.

"Crawling Rope!" I shouted, pointing at the fourth year on my right as the fifth year in the back started chanting. A bright yellow beam shot from my finger, hitting its target and wrapping around him several times. With his arms clenched to his sides, the fourth year fell to his knees, gritting his teeth as he vainly tried to force the Binder's Way spell off. Glancing at the soft blue energy starting to swirl around the girl, I realized what she was doing. She was giving her energy to the fifth year so that his attack might be more powerful than one of mine.

"Demon's Way fifty four!" The fourth year to my left shouted, snapping my attention back to him. My eyes widened at the spell he was going to use: that was deadly! I had to counter! "Abolishing Flames!" The flat disk of deadly purple energy appeared below his arm, and with a swing, it was tossed towards me.

"Arc Shield!" I shouted, pouring my energy into the bright yellow defense spell. Seeing that no matter what it would be destroyed, I hopped back as the spells collided with each other, causing an explosion of smoke. A moment of waiting ensued as the debris filled the area, and I closed my eyes to focus on what the fifth year was chanting. They shot open with a gasp as I recognized the two different spells the upperclassman was blending. I needed to counter, quickly! Forming a triangle in the air with my fingertips, I turned toward the fourth year, which was still stuck in the smoke. "Beak Piercing Triple Beam!" The yellow outline of a triangle appeared, each corner tipped with a beam of sharp light as it flew forward, slamming into the fourth year and pushing him back against the fence, locking his movements and allowing me to begin a counter of the remaining duo. The girl seemed to notice what I was about to do, and snapped from her energy-giving attempt.

"Thrust!" She yelled, causing me to pause in my ideas of what spells to use.

"Repulse!" The small round shield floated in front of me, catching the invisible attack and holding it for a moment before it was sent flying back to it's owner. The girl was caught in the chest, pushing her back and into the fence. The fifth year's eyes snapped open as he finished his mix matched chants. Panicking, I threw up the best shield I had. "Binder's Way Eighty One: Splitting Void!"

"Twin Lotus-Blue Inverse Mountain-Crystal Fire, Crash Down!" The above seventy Demon's Way spell crashed into my barrier, making me grit my teeth as an inverse pyramid surrounded him, blue color matching the attack he sent. I had to get past his barrier; I had to crush it before mine could fade! That was the only way to win!

"Demon's Way Sixty Three! Thunder Roar Sear!" A massive amount of electric energy shot from the middle of my barrier, piercing through the attack he sent, and sure to do just the same to his own protection. Just before it reached him, however, his barrier started to crumble. My mind froze when I realized my mistake. He didn't have enough energy to hold his defense for long- my attack would kill him!

"Splitting Void." A rectangular barrier from a foreign voice flew up in front of the fifth year, successfully blocking the attack. The upperclassman's eyes widened in fear as the yellow lightning crashed in front of him, and he winced backwards before realizing his safety. I breathed a sigh of relief, dropping my own barrier as my attack faded, and my classmate's life went unharmed.

"Perhaps, Miss Wilkenson, you'd best stick to spells lower than sixty when facing your fellows as opponents." The teacher said, hands clasped behind his back as he walked into the yard, taking one look at the state of things before continuing. "Now if you would, please, release them." At his reference to the two fourth years still bound by my spells, I snapped back into reality.

"Of course, sir!" I answered, releasing the two immediately. Jogging forward, I stepped through the already fading barrier and in front of my fifth year classmate. "Are you okay? I didn't mean for it to go that far…" He took a few deep breaths, assessing the situation. When his eyes finally went back to me, he nodded.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Just remind me not to go along with these guys again when they say they want to have a go with you." Laughing at his joke, I smiled out of sheer relief when he stated his condition. I'd never forgive myself for hurting a fellow student: it'd be unbearable.

"And you?" I asked to the girl behind him, who sat on her rump, massaging where her attack had been repulsed into her chest. A small grin took her face as she winced when she touched a particularly sensitive area.

"I'm good too. Like he said though, I'm not facing you again. That Repulse hurt like hell."

"Sorry…" I sweatdropped, scratching the back of my head at her half self inflicted half directed wound, "I kind of panicked…"

"I couldn't tell from the level sixty three spell you sent at us." The fifth year teased, sarcasm obvious as he lifted himself off the ground. I shifted, shrugging.

"It's not the spell level, it's the amount of energy put into it. And I didn't mean to make it that strong, I really am sorry…" He shook his head, ridding some of the dust from his black locks.

"Nah," He patted my shoulder, sending a grin at me, "it's all good. You're just going to have to teach me the spell sometime."

I smiled, relieved no harsh feelings were present. These really were good people, "I'd be happy to."

"Until then, Miss Wilkenson, if you would please join me." The teacher interrupted, drawing the group's attention to him, and more specifically, the Captain who stood behind him. Unlike the only other Captain I'd seen, this one looked normal. With wavy brown hair brushed back, he wore a play on the male Reaper's outfit: a loose black long sleeve shirt that looked better suited for winter than fall, and a pair of comfortable looking black sweats; with, of course, black moccasins upon his feet. The most remarkable thing about his appearance, however, were his eyes. Like evergreens in winter, they seemed to hold a certain warmth- intelligence- cunning not normally found in other people's eyes. They were soft, but smart, telling tales of just how many tricks this man had up his sleeve. Naturally tanned skin and a small smile on his face, I knew immediately that it was him who stopped my attack and saved the fifth year's life. After all, it's hadn't been my Native American teacher's voice that called out the only spell that could successfully stop that powerful of a level sixty three attack. Even though I couldn't see the number four anywhere upon his skin, I knew it was the Captain the fifth year referenced to earlier. I nodded to my teacher after the quick scan of the man, walking over to the pair that stood in the middle of the yard. "Miss Wilkenson, this is David Gingry, a former student of mine. He is the Captain of the fourth squad, and is looking for new recruits. I was wondering if you could, perhaps, show him around? You know all of the student's skills better than I."

"Of course, sir." I said to him before turning to the man, sticking out my hand. "Pleasure to meet you, Captain Gingry." The Captain smiled, taking my hand and shaking it. His hands were warm and strong, giving quite a contrast to his evergreen pools of emotion.

"Same to you, Miss Wilkenson. Though I never did catch your first name…?"

"Vallery. Vallery Wilkenson." Nerves started to jump as it began to dawn on me just who this man was. "If you're looking for recruits, then the guy you just protected, Tate Yerktu, is particularly good at blending binding and demon spells. As is Mol Terce, another fifth year. She is; however, even better at hand to hand combat. What type of student are you looking for, sir? Knowing their skills could help me narrow everyone down." Laughter at my anxious efficiency soon erupted from his chest as he shook his head, smile growing in the slightest as a blush tinted my cheeks. I didn't mean to sound so… forceful.

"Actually, I was wondering if I may have a word with you?" I blinked, catching his point as my blush began to fade. Nodding at his request, but not liking that I was getting another offer already while the other students were being ignored; I couldn't find any other choice. He was a Captain, after all. "Great; I heard you could Feather?"

"Lead the way, sir." I took a step back as he nodded, Feathering off. Catching his direction, I went after him immediately, leaving the other students in the yard looking slightly jealous, but altogether happy at the recommendations I had so easily given.

"I had heard that the other Captains had already started to recruit you, but you turned three of them down. Why is that?" Captain Gingry asked as we came to a stop at the beginning of a trail through the gardens. He started at a slow pace inward, and I stepped into time beside him, hand clasped behind my back as he tucked his into his pockets.

"They didn't fit my personal interests or skills." At his questioning look, I continued, "Squad three is good with healing, which I am not very proficient at. I don't want to be a sneak for the remainder of my life, so Squad five was a definite no; and the two things I hate the most in the world are cars and booze, so Squad seven barely got a chance. You are from Squad four, correct?" He nodded, listening carefully to my words. The amount of respect he was treating me with was generous, I noticed as my nerves began to work again. He was the second captain I had now met in person, but his confidence was just as intimidating as it was inspiring. "What is it your Squad is good with?"

"Magic." He said simply, and I nodded. That was good; at least it wasn't an immediate no, like the others. "Which anyone can see your proficient in. Of course, unlike Squad five, I can't offer you an immediate seated position."

His general relaxation helped me put myself at ease, and with that, I shrugged, "To offer something like that is rather rude though, don't you think? I mean, I haven't really earned anything, and to take somebody else's seat just because they think I'll be better at something… I'd hate to be the other person on that end of the deal." His eyes softened as they explored the gardens ahead of us. The gold and red of the turning leaves before us made his eyes stand out even more amongst the wood.

"Lucas had said you were kind." I blushed at the offhand compliment, reminding myself to tell Mel to send my thanks to her brother for putting in such a good word. Speaking of which, he brought that subject up next. "How is Mel, by the way? I haven't seen her in a number of years, and I had heard the two of you were still roommates?"

"She's doing great. Really getting good at kendo, but I have to help her with studying sometimes. Not that I mind, being in totally different classes you come to cherish any time spent with good friends." His smile turned reminiscing as he folded his hands behind his back, allowing me to catch a glimpse of the beginnings of a tattoo starting on his inside right wrist.

"That's good, then. I haven't seen her in a very long time."

"We could go visit her, if you like."

He shook his head; "I'd hate to disrupt her from her studies." I didn't bring up the point that she likely wasn't studying anyway. More possibly, she was out having ice cream with friends or flirting with boys in the courtyard. But all these wonderings of what she was doing vanished as the Captain brought up another subject. "I heard that your connection with the seventh squad lieutenant was personal, care to clarify?"

"He's the one that sent me and my family here. Nothing really personal; all Reapers must do things of the sort."

He laughed shortly at the rumor's mistake, "Oh, really? I'll have to tell my source that. It seems not all rumors are to be trusted. Although, the Seventh Squad Captain did seem mighty disappointed when his lieutenant came back empty handed."

I shrugged, "I hope not too much so. The interrogation unit is said to do a number to the Captain's mental state." He laughed again, shoulders shaking in the slightest as his eyes smiled at me.

"You really are kinder than expected. What do you think, then, of becoming part of Squad Four? You'd fit right in, and if you continue at the rate of growth you're at now, I have no doubt you'd be seated in less than three months."

"Well…" I paused in my step, not quite sure of what to say. If Squad four really was proficient in Magic, then no other squad would suit me better. Not to mention, the Captain was a pretty kind guy… not only was he cool, I could just feel that I'd learn a lot from him. I bit my lip as he stopped as well, watching me with a nice smile as I debated the odds. A deep sigh left me as I made my mind up.

* * *

Captain David Gingry stepped into the circular meeting room, taking a left as he headed for his seat around the wooden table, which, in a dark mahogany brown, outlined the shape of a circle. Four other Captains were there, including Lucas Dethredal and the current fifth squad captain, Lucas' former lieutenant, Mindy Jones. With her blonde hair a mess, she crossed her arms over her exceptionally large chest, glaring at Captain Gingry as he entered the room through her own pale green eyes. He noticed the look, but said nothing as he sat between his two equals, a small smile coming to his face as other Captains started to file in. Once everybody was there, and no sign of the Captain Commander was in sight, they started conversing in small talk. Most of which ended as Lucas spoke up suddenly, sending a smile to Captain Gingry, who sat on his right.

"I heard you got Vallery to join your Squad. As jealous as I am, I feel I must offer you a congratulations, she'll be a valuable asset." Lucas' expression was returned as Gingry nodded.

"Thank you, Lucas. I feel the same; though, I never would've won her over if I hadn't heard about her from you. Thank you for that." Their polite conversation was interrupted by a growl from the woman on Gingry's right, none other than Squad Five Captain, Mindy Jones.

"I can't believe you got her! And to think of how nice my offer was to her!" She glared at Gingry with a pulsing vein, miffed at her fellow Captain's actions.

"I do believe she felt the same way about your offer as I did, Captain Jones. That it was, and I quote here, 'rather rude' to just give away a seated position that hadn't been earned. That, and I'm quite positive she didn't want to be a… how you say, sneak the rest of her life." Gingry's teasing of his fellow Captain didn't go unnoticed by the others.

"A sneak?" Mindy roared, seething going unheard as another Captain intruded on the conversation from the other side of the table.

"Are we conversing about that young Academy genius?" He asked, leaning forward on the table. With dark brown hair and a pair of exceptionally curious hazel eyes, the round-faced Captain was among the newest additions to the table.

Lucas nodded, "Yes, it seems Captain Gingry here was able to recruit her."

"Eh?" The Captain drawled, leaning back with a disappointed look. "And here I was about to send my lieutenant down there next week… Gingry, you sly bastard. Going down there yourself, what tricks did you win her over with?"

Captain Gingry smiled, shaking his head. "No tricks, Martin. Just-"

"Salute." An old Native American woman sounded, stepping into the room from the side door. The Captains stood from their seats at once, silence filling the room as they saluted with dropped expressions the center of the circle. The old woman, obviously the Captain Commander, walked forward strongly, but with a hunched back as her gnarled hands grasped her similar dark wooden staff. Walking until she got to the raised seat at the very back of the circle, she lowered herself into the old wooden chair. Cracking open her wrinkled eyes and parting her aged mouth, she spoke once more into the room with a solid, unwavering voice. "At ease. Meeting in order."

The Captains lowered themselves into their seats quietly, all small talk becoming saved for later as the meeting began.

* * *

After that, things stayed relatively normal. I was still as busy as ever giving tutoring lessons, attending classes, training with Gentle Flower, and attempting to get my hand-to-hand skills to the point where I could pass the fighting part of the exam. The exam, which was held late winter to early spring, was a three-portion test. The first part was a written exam, open to everyone who fulfilled the requirements to graduate. The next part was a combat test, where they would test all three fields of study (Second Soul, Magic, and Hand-to-Hand) to see if we were at a decent level with all three. The last was an interview, held by the headmaster and two randomly chosen teachers hidden behind a black screen while they ask you questions, and you must answer with the complete and absolute truth. To be a Reaper was to be a protector of the people, and they held their expectations high for each graduating generation. At the semester, I started to attend the free study sessions held every Sunday to help myself review and prepare for the exam. To fail it would mean not only disappointing myself, but all of my friends and teachers who had helped me along and supported me so well. I had to do this; I had to become a Reaper. All this pressure was why I nearly faltered during the interview.

"Your name is Vallery Wilkenson, correct?" They asked through a small speaker box in the room, masked voices drifting out calmly to me as I sat in a desk in front of the black window.

"Yes, sir." I answered with a nod.

"Why did you join the Academy? Your answer should be clear, descriptive, and precise. Lying will not be tolerated."

"At first," I answered honestly, like I was instructed to do, but not without hesitation, "it was because of two reasons: mostly because I was already receiving dreams, and staying home would've resulting in the harm of my family. Secondly, it sounded like a good place to be: free food and shelter, to a street rat like me, it sounded like Heaven. And then I came here, and I got my powers under control. And while doing so, I met so many nice people, who supported me more than I could support myself. It was then that I realized that I wanted to become a Reaper, and so I stayed." There was silence on the other side for a minute, and my gut told me to sit still and shut up. Even as I did so, my heartbeat started to skyrocket as my mind started to race: what if I said something they didn't like? What if, god forbid, they thought I was lying? What if the truth was too truthful, that my answer wasn't precise enough? But, I told them everything! They had to believe me! I needed this; I needed it!

"And why, Miss Wilkenson, do you want to become a Reaper? Your answer should be clear, descriptive, and precise. Lying will not be tolerated."

I bit my lip, getting my reasoning sorted out. At least now I knew the last two sentences were to be repeated after every question. "So that one day I might find my family, sir, and give my baby sister a better life."

The silence was deafening.

I gulped, so totally and completely nervous it showed on every part of my expression and posture. My heartbeat was rising to my ears, every pump making my face ounce closer to red. They wanted honesty: I gave it to them. Would they judge me for it? What if the two teachers decided they didn't like me? What if my goal wasn't good enough for them? And then, out of the blue, a piece of kindness was shown to me.

"That is a very noble goal, Miss Wilkenson."

"Th-thank you, sir." I stuttered, a small smile coming into place on my face. Then it was okay. I would be okay. I bit my lip, attempting to calm down. I was over reacting; my own tone had brought that to my attention. I needed to calm down, breathe slower. With that, I took a single deep breath, attempting to cool my jumping nerves as best as possible.

"Miss Wilkenson, are you aware of the responsibilities of the task you ask to take on? Your answer should be clear, descriptive, and precise. Lying will not be tolerated."

"Yes, sir. Protecting the people is not something to be fooled around with." They seemed to like my solid answer, as the final statement came quickly after that.

"Then, Miss Wilkenson, you are dismissed. Please await a letter in your mail within the next three to four weeks. If none arrives you may try again next year."

"Thank you, sir." I said, standing from my seat. "Have a good day." And with that, I left the room.

* * *

A squeal higher pitched and louder than any other rang out across campus the Saturday evening I received my letter. Jumping up and down on my bed from the pure joy of having received it, I didn't stop when Mel burst into the room with a terrified look on her face.

"What is it? Are you okay?" She asked, frightened for my safety before she saw the huge grin and the tan envelope. "Oh my God, is that what I think it is?" I nodded, too happy for words as I continued to bounce in my socks and pajamas upon the purple sheets (they were changed over the summer when we both became second years). "Then what are you waiting for? Open it!" My face hurt from grinning as I nodded, realizing it was a good idea. Tearing open the envelope, I pulled out a single sheet of paper. "Read it! What does it say?"

"Dear Miss Vallery Wilkenson," I began, grin rising even higher upon my cheeks. "Due to your excelling scores on the written exam, your interview, and in the areas of both Magic and Second Soul handling, we are willing to overlook your failing scores in the area of hand-to-hand combat. Thank you for your participation in the graduation test, as we are pleased to inform you of your passing and request that you begin your work as a Reaper during the month of July!" The both of us screamed in unison, psyched for my final realization of becoming a Reaper. "Yes, YES, YES!" I pounced on Mel, who caught me with a grin and spun me around in the air. After she put me down, we began jumping, hands clasped as the biggest grins either of us ever held graced our faces.

"Um, may I ask what's going on in here?" A fellow second year asked, standing in our open doorway with a puzzled look on her face.

"I made it!" and "She made it!" were yelled in such sync, it was impossible to mistake their meaning. The girl's eyes popped out of her head as a huge smile made it onto her face. She tackled me into a hug, breaking me away from Mel as she squeezed me with a huge grin of her own.

"Gyah! I'm so happy for you! You're like the best second year ever! I'll never forget you!"

"Um, may I ask…?" A boy stood in our doorway this time, puzzled look on his face, just like the one the girl previously held. The girl pulled away from me as we answered him.

"I made it!" and "She made it!" were repeated by all occupants in the room.

"She made it?" He asked, jaw dropping. "She made it?"

"I made it!" I shouted at the top of my lungs, shoving the acceptance letter into the air. "I Made It!"

"Oh my God you guys! Come quick! Val's passed the graduation test! She's gunna be a Reaper!" The boy shouted down the hall, and soon my room was filled with people offering me congratulations and hugs. Mel couldn't keep the happy news to herself much longer, as a party was planned for me the day after.

* * *

**And thus, the countdown of her final Academy days begins :D I'd remember the faces in the Captain's meeting room, by the way. Mucho importante! Especially Captain Gingry. I wouldn't really have a story without him. He's super important. Of course, I'll always mention parts of their looks so you guys remember, and every now and then they'll be a total re-desciption of them, but... just try to remember. Also, Vallery isn't a Sue! Officially! She has a weakness! (_your failing scores in the area of hand-to-hand combat_) It's not her only weakness, as she's definitely got more than a few under the surface, but hey, right? I mean, what Sue is powerless in a fist fight? :D Kind of cruel, now that I think about it. It also makes the fight scene's harder :p But hey, it's a pretty ironic trait (you'll see how later), everything in consideration. She's strong, a leader, cute, but... she's still looking like and has the punching/kicking capabilities of a twelve year old xD What shall you do when combat call, my flower headed OC? What shall you do? :D**

**Also: Last chapter was the highest reviewed ever! YAYNESS! Thank you guys! Really! zerfesc! nakimina! xXSweetestXAngelXNightmareXx! And last but not least, Neko-Renku! You guys are awesome :]**

**See you next week! Review please!  
**


	12. The Hardest Test!

**Yeah, so, I have even LESS of an excuse for why this chapter is late. As in, I have none. Please forgive me! Here it is!

* * *

**To say we were surrounded was an understatement: they were swarming in on all sides, blocking each and every exit with their black bodies. One of our teammates had already been cut down: we needed to finish this, fast. Even if it was just training, things were quickly heading downhill. Their black bodies, dolls in a humane form, were all I could see against the dust covered ground and the piercing blue sky. I grit my teeth, dodging an attack from behind by flying into a cartwheel, evading the blow at the last second as I could feel the dagger cut through my uniform.

"Bradley! Yerktu!" I shouted to my two teammates, catching their divided attention as I swung Gentle Flower's bladed head through three bodies, ripping them all in half as they, one after another, poofed into sawed off white dummies. The remains fell to the ground, out for the count as countless more swarmed in to take their place. "The key is west-northwest! We need to start heading that way! If we don't get there soon, we're done for!"

"I know! Yerktu! Put up your best barrier!" Bradley shouted, Feathering to my back as he swiped his saber across the eyes of two bodies, successfully turning them into white dummies. Flower rammed into the chest cavity of a particularly large sized body, sending it flying back into five other as the all toppled into the ground, scattering dust as they mindlessly poofed into white dolls.

"On it!" Tate Yerktu shouted, dodging the blade of a katana-wielding body as he maneuvered closer to us. "How much time will you need?"

"Thirty seconds!" I responded, swiftly bringing Flower's deadly rotations to an end as I simultaneously slammed her two heads into the ground. With her extended chain wrapped twice loosely around my neck, I had no need to worry about her positioning anymore as I shut my eyes, forming a focusing hands seal as I desperately shoved the battle training out of mind, replacing it with the words to the well-practiced incantation. "Bradley! Help him out! This will be massive! I'll put up an inner layer!"

"Right!" Bradley shouted, focusing a hand seal as he put up an orange, boxed barrier around the three of us. Tate was quick to finish off the rest of the bodies that had made it inside the barrier's area. Placing his back against my left shoulder, and Bradley's right, he closed his eyes as he focused his energy into the best barrier he had: one that he had been working on since our fight.

"Inverse Mountain Crystal." His calmed voice told me that the barrier was, indeed, up. I took a few more deep breaths, copying him in making another, smaller barrier closely set to the three of us. My Inverse Mountain Crystal floated within his, slowly turning in circles around us as I completely steeled myself for what I was about to do. It was my third time trying out this particular spell, and I could never unleash more than a twentieth of it's full potential. That was alright though: a twentieth would do the trick in this situation.

"Seeping crest of turbidity, arrogant vessels of lunacy. Boil forth and deny, grow numb and flicker, disrupting sleep. Crawling queen of iron, eternally self-destructing doll of mud. Unite, repulse. Fill with soil and know your own powerlessness. Demon's Way Ninety: Black Coffin!" The gravity of the black and purple energy filled box pressed onto our shoulders, bringing me to my knees as I suffered from my own defense. Grinding my teeth so hard I heard a snap, I poured all of my remaining energy into my barrier, hoping it would be enough to fend off my attack. Bradley gasped, eyes going wide with fear before I suddenly felt his energy pulsing into me, helping me hold my barrier to save our lives. It wasn't a second later before Tate did the same. I pushed everything I had into the image of the barrier, forcing it to be stronger than the attack that could very well cost us our lives.

The world eased off of us as my attack faded, and the darkness that it belonged to rushed to my mind.

* * *

The softness of the bed in which I lay told me of my unconscious state: this was something only Gentle Flower could provide. The breeze whispered over my skin, caressing me like a long lost lover as I laid there, still. Feeling the world around me, banishing my sight, I merely existed as Gentle Flower's embrace welcomed me; long, slender blades of grass rubbing against my skin as the soft petals pressed against my being, willing me to stay just a bit longer. Accept whatever fate had put in store for me in exchange for a few more minutes of total relaxation.

And so I did. I rested until I thought I could rest no more. It felt like hours, maybe even days, but the pale sun had never moved from its position as I lay beneath its warm gaze. No time had passed, merely the feeling of it. It was all an illusion, and I was the only real thing in this mass of my Second Soul's comforting gardens.

"We are close…" The wind carried her words to me, a breeze picking up in the gardens as it flowed through the air. It hesitated over me, relaying the smooth, peaceful message, and all the possibilities behind it before it swept off, tumbling through the fields and back into the cycle of life.

"To what?" I questioned. I had a feeling I knew what she was talking about. The subject seemed to hold a peaceful place in my heart, a calming, warming spot that at the thought of it, seemed to put my mind at ease.

"Can you not feel it?" She questioned, as patient as ever as the winds rolled over my body, providing more of a comfort than a chill. "It will be soon…"

I cracked my eyes open, vision of the world finally drawing me out of my trance. True blue hung above me, and the plains of lavender stretched to every which way. At my side was the old, gnarled tree, wooden arms still reaching high; the sun was forever from its reach. "I feel something…"

My admission brought joy from my Second Soul, and a gust of wind raced over the plains, crashing into me with an unexpected amount of happiness swirling around me before evaporating off. I could feel myself unintentionally smile at the enthusiasm. Whatever this feeling was, it had to be a good thing. Her voice was brought to me not two seconds later by a calmer, but still happy breeze. "That is it, that is our Second Stage… we are so close… I can feel it, in your Soul and your Mind, you are almost there…"

"Second Stage…" I muttered, tasting the word on my mouth. It felt odd, like syrupy vinegar laced with sugar. Mixed emotions I had for this, and I didn't know why. I knew I was getting stronger: I didn't need a feeling to tell me that. Most Lieutenants couldn't complete the spell I had just preformed. My Magic abilities were the best in the school, teachers and staff included. But that was not the only thing that had grown in me. My confidence, our trust, our shared power. All these things were blooming at a mile-by-mile rate, and there was no stopping it. Soon I would reach the Second Stage. Soon, I would be a Captain-level Reaper.

"When the day comes, you will have to pass my final test. It will not be easy, but you must prove that you are worthy to wield my most powerful form…" These winds were not as comforting as their previous counterparts. Goosebumps lightly speckled my arms as I caught the chill in her words. I would be tested then, that was the reason for my mixed feelings. To be able to wield her in her most powerful form, to become ten times stronger should I pass one singular test. As she said, I knew it would not be easy. But I had to do it. The stronger I was, the higher a rank I could achieve. That meant I'd be able to search for Maya better. To give her a better life when I finally find her. "You will succeed, I have no doubt… all that we can do now it reach this power, and then everything will fall into place. Our lives will fall into place…"

As if her words took a literal form, the sensation of falling twisted in my stomach the colors of my world twisted into blackness.

* * *

We rocked from side to side as his body naturally swayed beneath me. The world was too bright, too harsh for my sight; and with a groan, I squeezed my eyes shut, pushing them into his shoulder. My fingers automatically searched for Gentle Flower's comforting presence on my right hand, and there she was found: tied back around my right ring finger by one of my teammates when I was out.

"Morning, sunshine!" The familiar voice of Tate Yurktu dragged me from my would-be retreat back into unconsciousness as the memories started to rush back to me. I had feinted, apparently, and now I was… "We're almost to the key! You haven't been out for very long!" Well, that was good. I didn't want to open my eyes to see if he was correct; instead just trusting in my teammate to get me to the key (an item that would transport us back to the training ground, much like the fake souls).

"Did I get 'em?" My slurred question was muffled into his shoulder. A shoulder which, I noticed with a blush, smelled very, very good. For once I was glad that I was being carried: he couldn't see the pink that tinted at my cheeks.

"Sure did! Every last one of them! I've never seen anything like it!" His grin was clear through his tone, and I could even hear a smile in Bradley's normally serious voice.

"And you probably won't ever again. That was a Captain-level spell there, Val. You sure know how to scare people." I couldn't manage a shrug, feeling too sore from all the energy I had spent in the training to move that much. Instead I prompted for my vocal chords.

"It's not the spell level," I began, but was interrupted by Tate pushing me farther up on his back.

"It's how much energy you put into it. Yeah, yeah, yeah. We've heard you say it a good thousand times already, Val. Doesn't change the fact that it was fucking awesome." My blush deepened at the joined compliment and extra touch. Feeling I could do nothing to disagree (what would I do if I began to stutter?) I opted for the silent approach to the situation. Taking a deep breath to both calm my nerves and ease away some of the fatigue, I allowed myself to relax against my teammate. Tate Yurktu and I got along pretty well, enough so that I could easily call him a friend. Bradley, who I had been paired with on several occasions in this particular class, didn't talk that much when it wasn't necessary. He was more of a silent leader type, or at least, became that way when he saw that he was failing half his classes and needed to get it in gear. Although he was decent at Magic, he was better at the swim team. Tate, like me, had got accepted into the Fourth Squadron; next week was a fieldtrip into the Soul City itself, one that only the best out of our Professor's classes got to take. Thankfully, I knew the majority of people that were going. "Oh! Hey! Look! It's the key!" Tate's voice broke me out of my ponderings, but I still refrained from opening my eyes as my ride began to get jumpier, jostling me as he Feathered over to whatever the object was (I had taught him how to do so after showing him the level sixty-three spell that I used to almost kill him that day not so long ago: the indebted and guilty feelings had still yet to completely leave). A rustle of clothes told me Bradley was there too, still at our side.

"Take me to the infirmary." I managed the statement, though it was meant as more of a request. Feeling this weak, there was no way I was going to survive any other classes for the day. The infirmary was, as much as I loath say it, just about my only option. As kind as the nurses were, I was getting to be a far too familiar face in that building.

"Sure thing babe." Even though I knew he meant nothing by it, and that it was just something he called all the girls he hung out with, a blush still rushed to my face, inflaming my features as my ears started to burn. A snicker from Bradley was all the attention that was afforded to me before Tate started the countdown, a hand slipping farther beneath my leg and the other leaving it's post to reach for the key. "Three," My blush went up tenfold as his fingers gripped behind my thigh, "two. One."

They grabbed the object in unison, and the world twisted around me for the last time that day.

* * *

Tate landed on his feet, much to my general appeasement. His hands had returned to their proper placements under my legs as he slowly stood from his squat, making sure I was okay with a slight push higher up on his back. A tumble told me Bradley wasn't as used to these things as the teammate carrying me; which was probably the reason why I was being hoisted by Yurktu in the first place.

"Quick! Move out of my way! There is an injured student, now move!" The voice of our Professor screeched to unheard of heights as the gossip of people suddenly erupted in the courtyard we had landed in. I afforded one eye open to peek over Tate's shoulder, watching as the teacher shoved through students left and right, rushing through them with a panicked and worried expression etched onto his face.

"Chill, Professor. We're all okay." Tate attempted to calm him with a sweatdrop and a placating smile, but even Bradley was shoved from our side as the Professor zoned in to my left, weathered hands worriedly placing themselves on our two, separate shoulders.

"Don't you give me any lip today, Yurktu! I should have the whole lot of you expelled for attempting something so- so!" His words cut off when he realized that I really, honestly, and truly was not harmed. His jaw dropped as his eyes flew open. Vainly his mouth worked as he attempted to get out a word, any word, so break the silence that had taken over the area. After a few more seconds of scanning my unscratched body, his eyes flew to my bright blues, searching them for something unattainable. "I-…. How?"

I managed a shrug as his question finally exited his mouth. Leaning my head back against Tate's shoulder, I figured I had to explain something to him. Anything, really, to get that look of his face. To help him understand that it wasn't his fault he couldn't do a spell like that and still survive uninjured: but really, I was just born that way. I couldn't find a word to say to help him comprehend, so Bradley filled in for me, as Tate was still under the orders of silence. "Her barrier held up until her attack was over, and they disappeared at the same second. That's probably why you didn't see it in the first place: it was the innermost one, and both of ours had been demolished."

The Professor's jaw snapped shut, and a look of pure revelation crossed his face. That didn't last long as anger was quick to sweep in, and his normally arrogant calm nature was shattered. "If you weren't smart enough to be the best damn student I've ever taught, Vallery Wilkenson, I'd expel you for being so stupid as to attempt a level ninety spell and putting both you and your teammates lives at risk! The entire point of this exercise was to realize that you're not always going to win: that there are situations out there that will break you, and that you will, one day, die for the Country you yearn to serve! This is ridiculous! That was a no-hope situation!" My brows furrowed as I pursed my lips, not liking that singular part of his rant (the rest I could understand). "There should have been no way for you to win! In my sixty years of teaching your group is the only to have ever reached that key! And don't go getting proud about that, because it only makes you less prepared for your life as a Reaper!" He was shouting at the top of his lungs by the time the rant was over: and I would have cringed back in fear had it not been for the comforting breeze that Gentle Flower sent into the area, wrapping around me and giving me the strength needed to say my only dispute with his rant:

"But, sir, I disagree. There is always hope, no matter the situation." He froze, anger dropping to shock, and then finally stunned silence as the entire courtyard listened to what I had to say. "You can be realistic about anything in this life, sir, but when it comes down to it: for fools like me, there's always going to be hope. I don't think it's the most rational thing to believe in, but when you're in a life or death situation, it's all you have to keep you going. I wouldn't have survived my own attack without hope, sir. Hope that my barrier would hold, and that everyone would be okay. Personally, I think hope is the most important thing you can have as a Reaper. Because sometimes, it's the only thing you have." The resulting silence was deafening. The tension could've been cut with a knife as everyone stared at me. Even with Gentle Flower's comforting petals brushing softly against my skin, I shifted uncomfortably on Tate's back. What I had just done, even though Gentle Flower completely supported me, was something new. I had never been that bold, as to speak so calmly about my beliefs to a superior at that! That was a whole level of confidence I had just showed. Not entirely welcome, either, judging by everybody's reactions. Tate pushed me up onto his back, feeling me starting to slip.

"With that being said, I'm going to take her to the infirmary now, Professor. We're lucky she's not still unconscious." With or without the Professor's permission, it seems, Tate was going to keep to his word and take me to the infirmary.

"Y-yeah…" The Professor muttered to our back, barely edging on my hearing as we began on our way. The crowds parted for us, and all eyes were either on me or my friend, who so kindly allowed me to burry my face into his back as the blood shot to my head, engulfing my cheeks in a red-hot blush. I was so terrible. That was so rude.

"Wait, Tate…" I muttered, but he didn't stop. "I should apologize…"

"No way." He stubbornly refused, catching me off guard with his nonchalant attitude. Did he not hear what I just said? Could he not see how out of place that was?

"But-"

"No buts this time, Val. I'm takin' you straight to the infirmary. Everything you said was right, and the Professor was wrong. Anybody can see that. Now shut up and accept it: don't go regretting the nerve you just showed. Everybody's proud of you for it."

They were proud? Why? How?

"It wasn't too out of line?" I asked with wide eyes, peeking over his shoulder. He shook his head, a grim smile in place.

"Not in the least. Now save your energy and hold on tight, I'm Feathering you out of here." I nodded, pulling myself closer to his back and tightening my grip around his neck. One more step, we were finally free of the courtyard. He pushed onto his right foot as I braced myself, and with a jolt, he began to Feather us away.

* * *

"Alright everyone! Gather around! We're about to step through the portal! Get in your groups! The ones we sorted out yesterday- come on!" The one and only Mr. Law was the lead instructor for the trip into Soul City. Mr. Mark was coming along, with a few other Professors answering the call for duty as the watched us from the line in front of the swirling yellow mass. It was the portal my favorite teacher was referencing, no doubt.

"Val! Over here!" I was waved over by Tate, who stood next to a slightly miffed looking Bradley, who stood with his hands shoved in his pockets. I smiled, jogging over to the two as the other classmates started to find their groups as well. "How come I always end up with you two? Not that I have a problem with either of you, but you know, a little change in faces is good every now and then." I shrugged as my smile faded in the slightest. Although I stood out sharply in the crowd (you could thank my purple second year uniform for that: fifth year boys and girls wore black, and the two fourth years, both girls, wore brown), I knew the majority of the students. It was nice for me, who was pretty shy, to be in the same group time and time again. It allowed for the slightest bit of stability I didn't usually get in my other classes.

"It's because nobody else wants to be stuck with your ugly mug." Bradley commented, teasing Tate with a grin. Recently, the two of them had been developing a rival-like relationship. It was good for both of them, though, so I wasn't complaining.

"What was that, you over-grown mutt?" Tate insulted, eyebrow twitching as a demented smile made it's way to his face. "It's because of your hideous face that no girls come within a three miles radius of us!" He paused, anger dropping to nothingness as I caught the remark. Turning to face me with his best, award winning, please-don't-kill-me smile, he tilted his head to the side and corrected his statement. "Except you, of course. But I was really referencing to the more… developed… fourth and fifth years."

I sweatdropped, not really taking the back-up comment as better than the original statement. But Tate was Tate, and there was no curing him of who he was. That being said, I tried not to take it as an insult, reminding myself that I'd bloom in time, and that women in my family were typically small. "You know, I really should introduce you to my friend, Mel, sometime. The two of you could really hit it off."

He blinked whether from shock that I didn't take offense or that I was actually referencing him to someone. "Really? She cute?"

"Adorable." He didn't catch the sarcasm. Bradley, however, did. A grin split his face as he saw his chance to tease.

"Don't be so mean, Val, getting his hopes up like that. We all know there isn't a fifth year alive that can keep up with a second year's party energy." Tate, as expected, took it as an insult.

"Hey! I've got more energy than half the campus put together!"

"Yeah, the six feet under half." He was referencing to the campus graveyard, where some of the professors were buried. Just as Tate opened his mouth to retort, Mr. Law saw the perfect opportunity to step in.

"If you don't clam it, Tate, you're not getting through this portal! Now shut up and let me finish with the role! Waverty!" Tate went red as the crowd giggled at his too-loud personality. Someone in the crowd shouted that they were present, and along Mr. Law went on the role.

"Don't worry, Tate, you know Mr. Law. He was just messing around." I supported, seeing that the call-out had actually bugged him. I patted his bicep gingerly, offering him a supportive smile when he actually got the nerve to look at me.

"Wilkenson!" Mr. Law called, drawing me from my friend.

"Here!" I shouted back, giving the teacher my eyes. He didn't look up from his clipboard, however, and went back to the role just as soon as I answered. Looking back to Tate, I saw him taking a few deep breaths, preparing himself to answer for his name without the red in his face. I shot a worried look over to Bradley, who caught it and shrugged, a clueless expression on his face. It was unlike my classmate to act this way, to say the least.

"We know Yurktu's here." Tate forced a smile, scratching the back of his head at the teacher's call. A few others laughed or chuckled, but that was all over soon as Mr. Law cut through the ten or so groups gossip's with his clear and authoritative voice. "Now everybody, listen up! You are to stay with your groups at all times! Do not stray out of sight from a supervisor! We will keep together as one for the majority of the time, but you will have a couple hours to yourselves later in the day! Do not disrespect the Reapers, and always be respectful! These are your future brothers and sisters; treat them as you would have them treat you! With that being said, lunch is at noon in the Third Squad Barracks, if you get lost, meet us there at that time! Now, everybody, let's move out!"

With those words, we were hustled into the portal by the supervisors.

* * *

**And next chapter: Reapers! :D That's a high point. Really, though, nothing too exciting in this chapter. Again, I apologize for the tardiness. I thought I updated on Wednesday, and then I realized I didn't, and before I updated on here I forced myself to finish a chapter for MSD. Which was a real pain to write, but that's over with, and I'll try my darndest to make sure it doesn't happen again.**

**HUGE thank you to xXSweetestXAngelXNightmareXx (may I start calling you SAN for short? I love your reviews, but your penname is really long!) Neko-Renku, and nakimina; all of which seem to put up with my hectic updates and whom I love very dearly for it :] Really, there would be no story without you guys :]**

**HAPPY IRISH LOVE DAY! E-HUGS TO YOU IF YOU'RE IRISH!**

**See you Wednesday (I mean it!)! Please review!  
**


	13. Double: Adventure in Soul City!

**I didn't brief this one, so I hope you guys like anyway!

* * *

**Soul City: the home of all the Reapers in Soul Country, the center of the country itself, and one of the largest cities in all of the afterlife realms. The Void Star, symbol of the 13 Squads, stood proudly upon the city's western gate. Its color almost seemed to be blacker than it's namesake when pressed against the white wash walls of the circular city. We had learned in class about the cleanliness policies the Third Squad enforced, allowing the White city to remain exactly that color: not a speck of dirt marred the walls, which reached so far up to the sky that they disappeared into the seemingly gray clouds that specked the blue backdrop. The door itself was huge, one made for giants, or better yet, gods.

The power of the Reapers seemed to be shown in the sheer greatness of the wall.

"Is everybody here?" Mr. Law yelled, and Mr. Mark, who had taken place at the back of the group, shot a thumbs up into the air. Bradley, Tate, and myself stood near the middle edge of the group. "Alright, let's get this trip started then!" He turned to the doors, which bore no guard, holes, or even etching of a camera, and lifted something I couldn't see out in front of him. Apparently, it was a pass of some sort, as the door's crack started to widen, and Mr. Law motioned for the group as a whole to move back as he dropped whatever item he held, the doors to start to swing outward. The Void Star split in half as the gate spread upon its hinges, giving us the first view many of us had ever seen of the grand Soul City. And it was grand indeed. White walls edged the entrance courtyard; with clean, large white tiles taking place beneath our feet as we were slowly guided into the city. Gasps and wows made their way around the crowd as we caught sight of the many high-level buildings. Far off into the distance, the seemingly largest building stood tall and wide, circling into the sky with it's cylinder shape. It seemed to be higher than all of the other nearby building by a good number of stories, and held a tiled black roof that coned from the top of it, with a wide, railed porch looping around it many times. The other buildings, as I had said, didn't reach its height. There were many two or three story structures, some reaching four or five when they lead off into the distance. The typical design of each amazing piece of architecture was something of a futurific conservative view, with each and every tile in place being used for something or another. The courtyard itself seemed to be used to give all guests an impressive, overwhelming sense of inferiority: that was the sheer pressure of being somewhere so clean, so neat, so useful. It made me feel smothered and unconfident all at once; a quick glance around told me I wasn't the only one feeling this way. In fact, the only semi-comforting thing about the courtyard we entered into was a circle of names engraved into the very tile of the ground. Each was in cursive, and wrapped around each other in a spiraling mass that made it near impossible to tell where one name began and the other ended. Our attention was drawn to this very design as we started to shuffle forward. "This," Mr. Law began, gathering everyone's attention as he motioned to the circle of names he was currently standing on, the embossed ground giving him a look of importance and authority, "is the name of each and every Captain and Lieutenant that originates from the Western Districts, there are corresponding ones at each gate! Since it's a five-day walk from the Western to Eastern Gates, I doubt you'll see another today! As such, read a couple names from the list as you cross it- a few might sound familiar to you!" A few in the crowd nodded as we began to make our way forward, walking across the designed names as we read a few of them aloud. Mr. Law was right, more than a few of them sounded familiar. "Oh! And that building way over there!" Our attention was drawn from the ground to the horizon, where the tower I had described earlier stood to its impressive height. "That's just a watchtower! It's illegal for there to be anything higher, except the Captain Commander's First Squad Barracks! The reason should be obvious!" We moved quickly after that. Mr. Mark and two of the five other teachers ushered us forward from behind, with Mr. Law and the last two leading the way through the seemingly endless maze of white streets and walls. Every now and then Mr. Law would shout out something of significance, like informing us of which direction certain buildings of notice were; other than that, though, he usually only told us to keep up and stay in the group. The first thing he, for some reason, didn't bother to tell us, seemed to be of the most importance to us. Having said that, none of the other teachers even felt the need to point out his little slip-up- perhaps on purpose as we approached the Seventh Squad Barracks. A group of Reapers were resting out on the black tiled mini-roof along the wall of their division barracks. The walls themselves stood in stark contrast with the rest of Soul City: they had graffiti and paint marring their white surface. As soon as we began to catch sight of these markings, the vision of a perfect a palace full of awe-inspiring powerful beings was shattered inside each and everyone's head.

Even this place, with its grand walls and spotless streets, had its ruffians.

Ruffians who- like rumors said- liked to drink. A too-true image of the amount of shame this squad brought upon the others belched loudly as we approached from his seat up top the walls. More than a few of us sneered at the small group, which busted out in hiccup-interrupted laughter as the fellow who burped received more than one pat on the back. As soon as they noticed just who our group was, however, their undivided attention went to us.

"'aye! Lookie 'ere at 'em-" The speaker, a rather wasted man with a protruding beer belly hiccupped in the middle of his slurred statement, "ah'em kiddies! Whatta 'em doin' 'ere?" He pointed a rather crude finger at us, apparently unaware of our planned visit to the Soul City.

"'At's 'em Academy Students, ya know. They tha real talented ones o' tha lot, first time visitin' 'ere, no doubt!" Another one answered, elbowing his fellow in the side as we began to pass by the group. "'Aye! 'ow many o' youse applyin' fo' seventh squad?"

Nobody bothered answering the drunk's question. Mr. Law seemed to ignore their presence altogether, setting a good example for the rest of us to follow as we faced forward after we passed the group, approaching their barrack gates.

"Ain' nobody answerin'…" Another of the group muttered, miffed at our selective silence.

"Mus' be 'em silent types. Ya know, like 'em thirteenth squaders. Betcha 'ats where they're all 'plyin. Thirteenth Squad!" Nobody bothered to look back to see who spoke. Drunks were drunks, and their presence was ignored to the utmost degree. So much so that, when we passed by the Barrack gates, I was one of the few who actually bothered glancing inside. Directly inside was, as luck would have it, a very familiar person, standing next to two other Reapers. And judging by the giant number seven across one of the two's bare chest (he wore no shirt, and was obviously drunk), it was the Captain of the Seventh Squad who was busy criticizing a lower ranking member of his squad for something or another. The Lieutenant, whose name I had never learned, looked to me the moment I started past the opening into the Seventh Squad Barracks. A kind smile came to his face as he recognized me on sight, tattooed number seven shifting slightly on his face from the pull of his upward tilted lips. Blinking as I recognized him, I couldn't help a small smile of my own as I lifted my right hand in greeting, a motion that he copied. I didn't stall by the door, however, and soon the moment was over as I passed back behind the wall, out of his sight and he from mine. Slowly, I dropped my hand back to my side, not noticing the few looks I garnered for my strange interaction with the Seventh Squad Lieutenant.

"You know one of those losers, Val?" Tate asked, head tilting slightly as he looked down on me in question, I shrugged, not really liking to term the Lieutenant as a real 'loser'. After all, he had his own intentions of changing the Squad. It just didn't look like that Captain wanted anything to do with his hopes.

"Kind of. The Seventh Squad Lieutenant isn't as bad as his squad mates." If he were, then he definitely wouldn't have been sober when he came to recruit me. Or, for that matter, waved at me just then. He was definitely different from the rest. My comment of him, it seemed, made more than a few question marks rise into existence a top my classmates heads, but none bothered to voice any as Tate just blinked, shocked in the slightest at my defense of the man.

"If you say so." His disbelieving tone made me shrug, and with a sigh, Mr. Law made us turn a left into a new part of Soul City, where the walls were once more clean, and the picture perfect tone of the place came back with full force.

* * *

"The Third Squad," Mr. Law spoke up as we began to near both noon, and the Third Squad barracks for our evening meal and rest, "is the Medical Squad. As you all should know, they also keep things neat and tidy, and cook for the seated members of the other divisions. Without them, this place would be a mess." His words ended as we stepped through the barracks gates, entering a small courtyard that a few benches had been set out in, with a couple Reapers wearing plays upon the uniform (the girls wore a light red, almost pink version, with a short skirt buckled to a button up top by a white belt; the boys a pair of black trunks and a faded red, sleeveless but high-collared skin tight shirt) walked to and fro, conversing lightly as we walked into the area. More than one stopped and waved at us as we entered, kind and gentle smiles on their faces.

"That's a high praise coming from you, Mr. Law." An all-too familiar voice commented as the group's eyes were draw to the building at the back of the courtyard, where a very pale Captain stepped through a wide, open archway and into the sun. A smile came onto his face as he walked forward with his hands in his pockets, coming to greet us in person, with his Lieutenant (the big, burly, and square-faced man who had been with him the day I met the Reapers) at his back. "I'm not quite sure we deserve such kind words."

"And this, class, is the Third Squad Captain, Lucas Dethredal. Don't let his smile get to you, he's the most talented man to ever hold his position." Mr. Law advised, stepping forward to greet the white-haired Captain with a grin and a hearty handshake. "Good to see you, Lucas."

The ghost of a smile I had come to attribute to the Captain played upon his features, "Same to you, Mr. Law. Though I'm not quite sure you've warned your students properly, I wouldn't have even graduated from the Academy if it hadn't been for you and the rest of the Professors." Mr. Law snorted before laughing, shaking his head in his mix of emotions.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. Now you're the one giving too much credit. Is the food ready? Nobody's eaten since breakfast." Lucas nodded as their hands dropped, and he motioned to the double-door building on our left, and his right.

"The cafeteria hasn't moved since last year. You and your students are welcome to the lunch line; we've even set out tables for those who wish to dine out here."

"Always the considerate one, eh?" Mr. Law half teased, half complimented, making Lucas' smile grow in the slightest before the teacher looked over his shoulder and back to us. "Head inside the building and go grab your meals: remember your manners! We re-group in an hour here in the courtyard!" And with that order, the group quickly started to make it's way into the cafeteria. I was about to stay behind to greet the Medical Captain, when I saw that Mr. Mark had moved forward and pulled him into a conversation with Mr. Law. A hand on my shoulder quickly moved me with the crowd, and I looked up to see none other that Tate guiding me through the doors and into a spotless buffet-style cafeteria. The interior of the building was larger than the outside made it seem, with the several lines of heated foods placed to the left for our liking, and then many long and wide, typical cafeteria benches (except cleaner) being lined up neatly on the right.

"Come one, Val! Before all the good stuffs taken!" Tate hurried, dropping his hand from my shoulder as he darted forward to the nearest mini-table of food, grabbing a tray and starting to load his favorite foods onto it before the class could eat all of it. I sighed, smiling at my classmates antics as I walked at a slower pace, none other than Bradley falling in beside me as I grabbed a tray of my own and went over to a meat-containing table.

"What do you think I should get, Val? I don't think I can make up my mind this time." Bradley commented, eying each food selectively. I shrugged, at a loss myself. Half of the labels below each food held names I've never heard of.

"I agree, it all looks delicious."

"I'd try the sliced turkey breast with the white gravy- it's a new recipe I've come to favorite." I recognized him before he even finished his sentence as he appeared next to me at the mini table, a tray of his own in hand. Bradley's jaw dropped at the ease of how he started his conversation, but I shrugged it off, used to the Captain's company by now. He visited Mel about once every two months or so to check on her progress through school, and sometimes, my own as well. I nodded, picking up the pair of clippers in the pan of turkey and taking a few slices onto my plate. As I did this, he talked again. "I admit- I was a bit put off when you didn't come greet me as soon as Mr. Law dismissed you."

"My apologies, Mr. Mark and Mr. Law seemed to want to speak with you, and a classmate pulled me inside. Otherwise I would've, where's the gravies at?" As I spoke, he took the clippers for himself, pulling in a few more slices of white turkey breast onto his plate than I had mine.

"Next table over." He stated, and I nodded, taking my tray in both hands and stepping over to the stall, him following. "Apology accepted, then. So how's Mel doing? Keeping to her studies?" I laughed lightly, smile coming to my face at the memory of my best friend nearly pulling her hair out at said 'studies'.

"I tutor her every now and then, but she really doesn't need it. She's already one of the best in kendo, as well. Mr. Mark could probably tell you more about that, though. I fear my amount of skill with the sword is just as little as my hand-to-hand abilities." It was his turn to laugh as I spotted the white gravy and poured a bit over my turkey with the ladle, handing it to him when I was finished.

"She wrote me about that. I have to admit, you must have gotten very impressive with your other skills if they're willing to discount a portion of the test for you. She also mentioned the stunt you pulled on the 'no-hope' situational test. I thank you for that; I never really liked that Professor, and it seems you showed him up quite nicely." I raised a brow at the last sentence of his, having never really thought about Lucas actually disliking someone. He struck me as a much too-kind person, to hold a grudge over something like that. It seemed he saw my expression as we made our way over to a different table, one containing sides. I went for the corn and he went for the mashed potatoes while he spoke: "And yes, I do dislike a few people. Everybody has a bad side, Vallery. I just don't like showing mine."

"I couldn't tell." My sarcasm was tuned and well meant, causing him to laugh lightly as he picked up his tray.

"I guess I'll be seeing you around come July?" I nodded as we shared a smile. "Then until July, Vallery."

"See you in July, Lucas." He Feathered away with his tray, smile still intact upon both of our faces as I turned back to the table. After gathering a few more things upon my tray from the assorted stalls (strawberries, a small salad, and a bit of peach cobbler, to be exact) I went over to a glass-topped fridge and pulled out a water bottle, shutting the fridge door before beginning to search the tables for Tate and Bradley. They weren't inside, I found, and as I stepped outside to the benches, I was spotted immediately by the pair.

"Val! Over here!" Tate waved me over to one of the benches that he, a fourth year girl, Bradley, and another fifth year boy shared, leaving a spot between Bradley and the girl for me. I smiled as I went over to the group, all of which I had one class or another with, before I took my seat, placing my water bottle down and setting the tray solidly a top the table. The girl leaned away as I stepped over the bench, giving me room to get settled before she went back to her previous condition. "So what was up with Captain Dethredal and you? The two of you seemed pretty quaint in the cafeteria."

I shrugged, not wanting to delve too deeply into the past. "He's just a friend who helped me out a bit a couple of years ago."

"Mm-hm." Tate made the disbelieving noise in his throat, nodding with a 'liar' look on his face. "Like that Lieutenant earlier, huh?" I blinked, not noticing the connection until that second.

"Yes, actually. Just like Seventh Squad Lieutenant." The table sweatdropped for reasons unbeknownst to me, and we fell into eating until Bradley finally spoke up, curiosity overcoming his need for nutrition.

"So how many more high-ranking Reapers do you know?"

Shrugging once more, I grabbed my water bottle and cracked the cap open, twisting the plastic in my hands as I thought about his question. There was Captain Gingry, but could I say I really knew him? It wasn't that long ago that he had come to recruit me. There was also Lucas' former lieutenant, who Mel clarified as the girl that had been with him the day I was chased throughout Yamer. Wasn't she a Captain now? But then again, I had never even spoken to her, so I can't really say I knew her, either.

"I've met two other current Captains, including Captain Gingry, but I can't say I really know them." An uneasy silence engulfed the table as I tipped back the water bottle, drinking a few gulps before wiping my mouth and screwing the cap back on the bottle. Glancing at each of their faces, my brows furrowed. What were those looks for? "What? Is that bad?"

"It's not that." Tate summed up, shaking his head as he sweatdropped at my apparent obliviousness. "You're just a scary person, Val."

"Scary?" I questioned, face tilting with worry. "How am I scary?" That was bad, I didn't mean to be so odd. But they asked, and I told them, so how was I scary? Just meeting Captains wasn't that big of a deal, was it? Tate, seeing my worried expression, clammed up. Bradley, however, wasn't so sparing.

"Oh, I don't know. It could be the high-ranking acquaintances or the fact that you're already at Captain level. But, you know, it could just be us." I caught his sarcasm, wincing as I looked down. I couldn't help it, I really couldn't. Tate leaned across the table and punched his rival in the arm.

"That was rude!" My friend then turned to me, sending me a consoling smile. "He didn't mean it like that, Val. You know we all think it's pretty awesome. There's nothing wrong with being who you are." I hesitated, but nodded anyway. His smile made me feel better a bit; I had to admit that much. "Now, where should we go during the free time?"

The sudden change in conversation drew Bradley from his glare at Tate and back into a semi-helpful mode. "Well, the two of you both got recruited into Fourth Squad, right? We should probably go there, if it's not too far. Get a look around and all."

"Sounds good to me, what you think, Val?" Tate asked as he sat back down in his spot, lifting his fork back to his meal.

"I think that'll be nice." At my agreement, the conversation drifted into small talk for the remainder of the lunch period.

* * *

"We are so lost." Bradley muttered as he looked at the map, an irritated expression on his face.

"No, we aren't. Look, we're right here." Tate corrected, jabbing a finger at the map. He too was starting to get irked, as this was the fourth time we've come upon the three way we were currently standing at. I leaned against the wall with my hands folded behind my back as their anger started to kick itself up notch by notch. Seeing Bradley about to respond with an insult, I sighed and started to zone them out. Mind as well let their anger take its course, we still had a good hour and a half left of the two hour free time given to us to traverse the streets of Soul City in our groups. I was starting to get irritated as well at our entire groups inability to tell directions, so with a deep breath, I let any and all anger out of my system as my eyes guided me to the sky. A few puffy white clouds broke through the blue cover, where the sun loomed in the distance, a much harsher version of my mental world's recreation. A tear of paper entered my ears as I was brought back to reality, only to see that Tate and Bradley had ended up ripping the only map we were given in two, both of them not noticing it as it dropped to the tiled ground, too caught up in their argument to see that they had destroyed any and all hope of finding our way to Fourth Squad barracks now.

"Those two are really going at it, aren't they?" Something in the voice struck me as familiar as I looked up and to my right, where a female was standing with her back against the wall beside me, hands shoved into her pockets. I recognized her immediately as Lucas' former Lieutenant, and now a current Captain. She hadn't changed her light blonde hair, and the only thing different about her outfit was that her shirt now cut off halfway down her chest, showing her flat stomach, which had in a very strict black design, a big number five tattooed off-center to her left side.

I shrugged, "It's normal. Their rivalry is pretty intense."

She snorted, shoulders jerking at the motion. "I can see that. Mindy Jones, by the way. Captain of the Fifth Squad. Did you guys need some help?"

"We were looking for the Fourth Squad Barracks to get a look around since two of us were recruited by them. As you can see though, they tore the map. Would you show us the way, Captain Jones? I'd hate to be stuck here for the rest of the exploration time." She laughed shortly, nodding as she continued to watch my two classmates start to come to blows.

"If I can get to watch these two for a couple more minutes, I'll show you wherever you want." Nodding to her agreement, I turned my attention to the pair as Bradley swung a fist at Tate, connecting with his jaw only for the fellow fifth year to come back with a well-aim punch to Bradley's gut. "They remind me a lot of the Eighth Squad Captain Tridan and the Eleventh Squad Captain Kristan. Always getting into fights."

"I heard about that," I commented as I remembered the first time Lucas' identity was revealed to me, "it must be irritating to constantly have two Captains in the infirmary."

She openly laughed, "Only for Lucas. Poor guy, always having to clean up after those two. Three other Captains and I all have an ongoing bet on how long it will take for him to get fed up with their weekly fights and refuse to heal them anymore." A smile quirked it's way onto my face; so the Captains were fun people, huh? And betting on their coworkers… how long would it take for Lucas' patience to run out? "I was his former Lieutenant, you know. A great guy, true Captain. As long as you stay on his good side, that is. He's quite the enemy if you happen to cross the line with him."

"So I've been told." I said distantly. It was hard for me to imagine Lucas being someone's enemy, much less being angry in general. Mel never mentioned his bad side, either. I was almost inclined to think it didn't exist, if he hadn't said he didn't like that Professor at lunch today.

"Just how do you know all this, kid?" She finally looked down at me, a slight irritation in her tone. "Besides, you haven't even introduced yourself yet. Do you know how rude that is?"

I blinked, looking up at her with wide eyes. Did she honestly not recognize me? I mean, sure, it took both the Seventh Squad Lieutenant and Lucas a few seconds, but here we were having a perfectly decent conversation, and she hadn't noticed yet. Did my hair make that much of a difference? "I'm sorry, I thought you recognized me. My name is Vallery Wilkenson, we met in Yamer almost two years ago. Pleasure to formally meet you." My hand went out for her to shake, but she ignored it. Instead, her jaw dropped in the slightest as her eyes went wide, staring into mine with a perturbed sense of shock that seemed to come too often to the people around me.

"Y-you're that street brat who outran me? B-but! But!" She seemed to be at a loss of words as her jaw twitched up and down, unable to form articulate sentences. Before I knew it, however, the moment was over, and blackness enveloped my vision as my face was pulled into her chest by her too-strong arms that wrapped around my head and back, a squeal erupting from her throat. "You've gotten so much cuter! I love the hair! Did it change when you got your second soul? Wait, never mind that! I want to thank you so much! Because of you, I pushed myself to get my Second Stage, and now I'm a Captain! Gyah! I thought I recognized your face, but I just couldn't remember! Please, call me Mommy from now on! You're too cute to not be my daughter!" My struggles were useless as I began to suffocate against her bosom, air and all forms of breath being cut from me as I squeezed my eyes shut, instinctive reactions going crazy as I fought for my life. I couldn't breathe, I couldn't breathe and I was going to die because this Captain didn't notice that I couldn't fucking breathe! No words came to me, as I was out of air and slowly starting to loose control of my limbs. Struggling until my last second awake, the suffocation finally pulled me into darkness.

* * *

**Chapter 14**

"She's coming to…" The voices echoed and slurred in my head as I cracked open my eyes, blurred vision greeting me with some sort of head hanging over my face. My eyesight was so bad, however, I could barely make them out from the ceiling, and whoever it was said another sentence as they leaned away, exiting my line of sight. Slowly I blinked, attempting to sort my head out straight as I groaned. Lifting a hand, I rubbed my fist into my eyes to help wake them, starting to push myself up off my back with the other. Soft cushions sank underneath my palm, an unfamiliar feeling to my skin as I started to make out the words people around me were saying. Two people were lightly bickering, one a female voice, and the other a male. Both sounded familiar, but I couldn't place them until I finally opened my eyes, able to see clearly for the first time. My surroundings enveloped me in a second, and with a bit of shock, I realized I hadn't a clue where I was. A rich and soft red couch lay beneath me; with it's back on my right. To my left was a coffee table, dark wood matching the wooden floors and warm dark red walls. Light flooded in from both the light above my head and the two windows behind the couch, which gave me a perfect view of a neat and well-organized desk, complete with a leather chair against the back wall. Beyond the table to my left, at two different angles, were a pair of comfy chairs, the same fabric upon their surface as was upon the couch. Two people were in the room, the male and female I had heard earlier bickering. They seemed to be done with whatever argument they were having, both watching me with differing expressions. Captain Gingry held a slightly relieved look in his evergreen eyes, small smile tilting onto his face. Captain Jones sat on the chair on the left, an extremely worried and sorrowful playing upon her expression.

"Where… am I?" I asked hesitantly, glancing between the two before letting my gaze drift again. Right in the middle of them, about a yard behind, was a set of dark wood double doors, adorned with brass handles and stylistically carved to match the comforting vibe of the room.

"My office. Mindy brought you here when you passed out. How are you feeling?" Captain Gingry answered my question as Mindy bit her lip in shame, eyes starting to grow teary.

"I've been better." I answered honestly, shifting my legs off the couch to place them on the floor.

"I'm so sorry!" Captain Mindy wailed, jumping me from my left as she pulled the side of my head into her extra-large chest once more. "You were just so cute and I didn't notice until you were out cold that I had suffocated you! Then everyone started panicking and I didn't know what to do so I brought you here!" She didn't seem to notice that she was cutting off my air supply again, as the side of her boob jammed up against my nose, making it impossible to breathe. Scared, fear laced through my mind as I quickly began to try to push her away. It was all to no avail, as no matter how hard I tried to pry off her arms or shove away her stomach, she didn't seem to notice past her dramatic sadness. "But it's okay! Mommy won't do it again!" Her arms only tightened around me from there, pulling me farther into her chest as I felt my face start to go red from lack of oxygen. "I'm still sooo sorry!"

"Mindy." I could barely make out Captain Gingry's authoritative tone over the sound of my blood rushing in my ears. "You're doing it again."

She hesitated for some reason, pausing in her whines before grabbing me by my shoulders and pulling me away from her. I gasped as the air filled my lungs, grabbing her bicep tightly to hold her away from my as my right hand went to my chest, trying to stop my panting as the oxygen once more flooded my system. Hard breaths passed in and out of my mouth as my face started to return to its normal color. Air felt nice. Air was my best friend.

"You've… got to… stop… doing that…" I managed in between breaths. An apologetic expression upon her face told me that she really didn't mean to hurt me, and that she didn't notice what she was doing.

"I agree, Mindy. I'm going to be short one Squad Member if you keep this up." My soon-to-be Captain came to my defense, sending her a hard look. But like a kid in a candy store, Mindy seemed to be heartbroken at that statement. I was hugged to her once more, grip on her bicep failing as her much stronger arms pulled me into her again. This time, though, I could breathe. It didn't make having my chin jammed into her breasts any more comfortable, and being able to see nothing but black as her arms wrapped around my head and neck any less weird, but it was better than before. I could actually breath this time, and for that, my fighting lessened to weak shoves against her torso as an attempt to gain my freedom.

"But! But! She's my daughter! I can't not hug her! Don't be so mean, Gingry!"

"I'm not being mean, I'm preserving a promising recruit's life. Besides, you're too young to have children, adopted or otherwise. Now let her go, Mindy."

"No way! I'm not going to get to see her again until July! I'm hugging her for as long as I can to make up for all this lost time!" As if to emphasize her point, she pulled me closer into her, squeezing my shoulders into her chest and my chin even deeper into her. I tilted my head back to allow my nose freedom- another inch and my air supply would be gone again.

"Don't make me call Lucas, Mindy." His warning didn't even make her hesitate.

"He won't do anything. She's my daughter." Just as I could hear Captain Gingry start to retort, a light bell rang, making both Captains stop their light arguing once more to look at who had entered the room.

"Captain Mindy, if you don't let my student go, I'll have to drag you back to the Academy with us. And you don't want to repeat your years there, do you?" Mr. Law's most threatening voice was in play, and out of sheer fear, I was released from the Captains grasp. Pushing myself away from her, I scooted quickly to the opposite side of the couch before scrambling over the edge, quickly making my way over to where my two favorite teachers were standing in the doorway. "Now, what the hell were you thinking- kidnapping an Academy Student like that? You of all people should know better, Mindy!"

Mindy seemed to melt under Mr. Law's piercing gaze, and I once more caught a smile on Captain's Gingry's face as he folded his hands in his lap, happy with the outcome of the situation. Mr. Mark, who stood beside Mr. Law in the doorway, bent down and placed a hand on my forehead, semi-worried expression showing through on his face. "Are you feeling alright?" He asked in Japanese, worried tone slipping over with ease.

I nodded, feeling much better now that I was finally safe from the big-breasted Captain's harmful hugs. "A bit dizzy, but I'll be fine." He nodded, hand slipping from my forehead to my shoulder, where he started to direct me out of the room and into a long and slender hallway.

"Let's get you back to the Academy, then. The other teachers have already taken your classmates back." Mr. Law's conversation with the two Captain's faded from my hearing as I focused in on my teacher's words.

"Yes, sir." I nodded, focusing my attention ahead as we began to meander our way through a few hallways before somehow exiting into the barrack's courtyard. I didn't catch the glance he threw my way as we walked into the nighttime sky, heading straight for the Western Gate.

* * *

After all the hype at the Academy had settled down ("You know three Captains?" everyone felt the need to interrogate with) and a good month had passed, classes had started to wind down for the year. Considering I was in classes with fifth years, and the teachers tended to get lazy come spring, the majority of my classes became canceled on a week-by-week basis. In fact, the only thing I could count on still having to attend were the Magic Club meetings. Since I already passed the Graduation exam and was really just waiting around for the actual ceremony, Mr. Law and I gave up on trying to get my body to somehow grasp the concept of hand-to-hand combat. That left my evenings just about completely free (as most tutoring requests had been finished, seeing as I was graduating and not many thought I had the time to tutor them, when in fact the situation was opposite), I couldn't even spar with any of my classmates. Occasionally I'd assist Mr. Law or Mr. Mark in their classes as a helper, and run errands for them or help their students when they were busy. These days were few and far between, however, and I found myself cherishing more than ever the time I actually got to spend with them and Mel. I wouldn't get to see the majority of the friends I had made in the two years here for another three, save the occasional visit, which couldn't be often, considering I'd be very busy with my duties as a Reaper. As such, any time not spent stalking Mel as she went from class to class was spent training. Mostly with refining mid-level spells, and when not that, with Gentle Flower. Captain Gingry said that if I continued at the growth rate I was at when we met than I would most likely be promoted by three months. My goal was to make sure than time frame came true. It was a simple equation if I thought about it: the stronger I was, the higher my seat would be, the higher my seat is, the more influence I had. Having the most influence as quickly as possible would ensure my finding of Maya and Tif to be as quick as possible.

Which is why I accepted my Reaper uniform at the graduation ceremony with one of the best feelings I had ever felt swelling in my heart: I was finally a Reaper. I was finally almost there.

* * *

"Where's his lieutenant?" I asked Tate Yerktu, who stood right behind me as our shared Captain, none other than Captain Gingry, stepped onto the stage. It was the induction ceremony for all upcoming Reapers into Squad Four, along with an advancement ceremony for all the Reapers in the squad already who proved themselves worthy of a seated position.

"I heard he hasn't had a lieutenant in over a century." He answered, looking slightly awkward in his Reaper uniform. Not that I could be talking, the skin tight black top made my small form look even smaller, and the loose pants that clenched at the ankle made my legs, which were long in consideration to the rest of my body, look like short stumps. The moccasins I had adapted to in the Academy, but the shirt that clung to my every ounce of skin was something that would definitely take time to adapt to, if I even could at all. I liked loose; I liked skin. Elbow length sleeves and I high collar just didn't work for me. My brows furrowed at my fellows response.

"What? Why?"

He shrugged, a movement I barely caught out of the corner of my eye as he whispered back: "Guess there's no one strong enough. He's considered the strongest there ever was in Magic here in America, if someone isn't half his power, then why make them his right hand?" I tilted my head from side to side, seeing his logic. But still, not having a lieutenant was a very big burden. They did the majority of the paperwork, not to mention helped run things in case of an absence. If something happened to him, and no lieutenant was there, the squad could very well fall apart. No more words were exchanged as Captain Gingry took the microphone with a smile, making a large motion over to the line of twenty or so Academy Reapers that had been accepted into his Squad, the majority of which I knew either from my fifth year classes or Magic Club.

"Please, Welcome your new Brothers and Sisters!" He started, a smile on his face. The crowd in front of us cheered, some shouting screams of support as Squad four rowdily welcomed us into their ranks. It brought a smile to every Academy graduate's face, some even laughed to themselves quietly. "Good job, to all of you! The years you each spent in the Academy will certainly be sorely missed, but we welcome you with open arms into the Fourth Squad, your new home!" Only after five minutes of cheering did the crowd finally die down, sitting back in their seats and patting each other on the backs for being so optimistic. Those who screamed the loudest, I noticed, got high-fives from their friends. "Very nice, now, the one in the very front of the line has a microphone, if you would please turn it on." The boy at the beginning of the line did so, nodding to his new Captain when the glowing orange dot appeared. "Good, now, please say your name and a silly fact about yourself before passing down the mic. Keep it going."

"Uh, okay. My name is Tray Thompson and um, I like hot wings." A few in the crowd laughed, grinning their support for the kid as he passed the mic to the girl after him.

"My name is Hannah Carter, and I like romance novels!" The enthusiastic way she said it got more than a good hoot out of the crowd. She blushed, grinning nonetheless as she passed down the mic. Things continued like that for a while, until five more people down, and the mic was passed to me.

"Um, my names Vallery Wilkenson, and um, I'm really terrible at talking to crowds…" They laughed, more than a few shouting supportive statements as I passed on the mic to Tate. My very red blush faded away quickly as the mic was slowly passed to the end, where it was shut off after the last person went.

"Welcome, one and all to the Fourth Squad!" Captain Gingry exclaimed one last time, and another roar erupted from our squad-mates. After that, promotions went underway, and I found myself unsurprised when nobody was elected into lieutenant position.

* * *

"Hey Val! Will you come help me with this, please?" Our tenth seat shouted over to me, waving at me from far across the training grounds. It had been a week since I had become a part of the giant family called Fourth Squad; and it had gone by in a blink. Up to this point, all I could manage to do was cram the faces of people and places into my head, all the while trying to avoid Captain Mindy, who dropped by every other day searching for me (vainly, I am glad to say; my squad mates were very sympathetic to my troubles and often helped me hide). Training, as much as my body ached for me to do it, hadn't had a chance yet, as I was still sorting out my busy schedule with the rest of the new recruits. We got the brunt of the work, like sweeping and dishes and stuff, but that hadn't stopped me from throwing out pointers to my fellows every now and then as I did the chores around the barracks.

"Give me a minute, please! I'm almost done here!" I shouted back to him, wiping the beading sweat off of my brow with one arm as I sighed. The summer heat was a killer in these black uniforms. After drying my forehead, I swept the last of the leaves off the concrete walkway with two good swipes of my broom before Feathering inside the building to the broom closet. Basking in the cool air conditioning, it took me a good bit of self-convincing to go back out in the heat to help the tenth seat. But, I reminded myself, I was doing this for Maya; no amount of heat would keep me from seeing her curly red locks again. "What is it you need help on?" I asked as I Feathered out to the training ground, pulling my arms behind my back to stretch them- they ached from the disuse of the past lazy week.

"My Binder's Way twenty one isn't big enough, but if I put any more energy into it, I'm going to pass out! Can you help?" I nodded at his plea, already having a good guess at what was going on.

"Okay then, show me what we're working with."

* * *

"BABYYY!" The warning came to late as I stumbled under the weight of Mindy's bodice, barely catching myself before she lifted me, headfirst, off the ground and into her impressive chest. A few chuckles were heard throughout the room as her antics once again cut off my air supply. I was adapting, however, and sucked in a huge breath to hold as soon as I felt her fingers even begin to touch me. As such, it was just an issue of managing to expel it all little by little without passing out until she let me go. "I missed you sooo much!" Judging by the sudden nauseas feeling I got, I could safely judge she was spinning me again. "I'm so sorry I didn't come to visit yesterday! Mommy had a mission out in the East and I couldn't come see my baby! I thought about you though! I had a dream that we were buying ice cream at a park and-" That was it, I was out of air. I could feel my face start to go blue from lack of oxygen as she continued on her rant about our day at a park and something about black rabbits (her squads insignia), before the dream turned into a nightmare about pythons in the wilderness. From there things just got weirder, and just as I could feel myself start to pass out once more, her body crumpled suddenly. My head was sharply tilted to the side from her quick shift, and before I knew it, I was torn from her grasp by a strong hand that tossed me back into the air.

I landed on my rump, but the glorious air coursing through my system numbed the pain as I took the heaviest breaths possible, tasting the all too sweet oxygen before it flooded my lungs. As my vision began to return and my heart started to go back to only a mediocre rate, the blood left my ears, clearing it just in time for me to catch what my superior, the third seat of our family, said to the irritated Captain before him. "Abusing another Captain's squad members, are we? That's quite a serious offense, Captain Jones."

"Serious offense my ass, you're just jealous that you don't have a daughter as cute as mine." Mindy huffed as she folded her arms over her chest, glaring just as hard at the third seat as he was at her. I felt him glare at her more than I could see it, though; as his thin-rimmed glasses caught the room's light as he tilted his head back to look down his nose at her. Our third seat, Yacub (pronounced like Jacob, though I don't know how) Mystern, was known to be one of the most intimidating people in the squad. Second only to the Captain on a bad day, or so I've heard. In place of a lieutenant, he worked out the paperwork distribution so that it wasn't focused too much on one person, and he was in charge of forming work schedules for each and every member of the squad. Being the organized person he was, he had held the position of third seat for four years now, and rumor had it that he was going to be promoted to a Lieutenant come New Years. Whether or not it was Lieutenant of this Squad had yet to be affirmed, however, as there were also rumors about how tenth squad was also missing a lieutenant.

At any rate, his glasses flashed in the light, no playful tone making its way into his voice as he spoke. "That may be true," I sweatdropped, finding his admission of such a fact more than odd of him, "however, Miss Vallery is a member of this squad, and mother or not, you may not continue to suffocate her into unconsciousness every time you lay your eyes on her. She could develop a breathing condition, or a panic disorder. How would you felt if your precious daughter had to spend the rest of her days in a wheelchair? Knowing it would be completely your fault, you'd depress yourself into a coma and die. Is that what you want, Captain Jones? To die of depression?"

Tears began to make their way up to Mindy's eyes from Yacub's dramatization, as being the unknowing person she was, she took every word he said seriously. An almost fatal mistake when it came to his guilt trips. "N-no! I don't! But my baby-!"

"Exercise for the heart is a good thing, Captain Jones, but not at the rate you are pushing it. Please restrain yourself from hugging Miss Vallery while she is inside fourth squad barracks, or while in the presence of myself. The next mistake could be fatal, Captain Jones. I hope you remember that." The tears that had began to pour down the sides of Mindy's dark-skinned face almost pulled on my heartstrings, had I not known she'd get over such a statement within the week. Her eyes fell to me, where she burst into even heavier tears, waterfalls sprouting from her eyes as she sobbed just as dramatically as Yacub's over exaggerating circumstances. I sighed as I watched her cry like an unhappy child, lifting myself off the ground so that I might go to her to help dry her face. I was stopped, however, when Yacub turned to me, dark eyes glinting past his glasses. "You don't have time to go to your mother's side, Miss Vallery. You and I must head to the Captain's office immediately, as we have both been selected to go on a special mission with a small group of others. Denial is an option, of course, but I'm sure Captain Gingry will be most disappointed at your absence."

My sweatdrop returned at his mini-guilt trip, and I nodded simply to get him off my back. As I was quickly dragged out of the room (with a sobbing Mindy too slowly crawling on the floor behind us before quickly becoming left behind), other perks for agreeing to go made their way to the front of my mind. This was a chance to prove myself, prove I deserved a promotion for all the hard work I'd put in (only a week and a half, but that didn't include Academy Training time), to prove myself so that I could finally achieve my goal.

I would find Maya.

* * *

"So glad you two could make it." Captain Gingry greeted us with a smile as we walked into his office. A small motion of his hand and Yacub and I fell in line with three other members of the fourth squad. Two, like me, were new here: none other than Tate Yurktu and Mol Terce stood shoulder to shoulder directly in front of his desk. The fourth seat was here as well, though I had yet to learn his name and only recognized him from his face at the acceptance ceremony. "Now that you're here, I shall begin. There has been a large number of Hollow attacks happening to our Northern Border, nearing the Tralese Mountains, which as you all should know, separates us from our Canadian allies. Such allies have asked us to handle this outbreak, as they are currently at war with the Artic Islands and don't have the forces to spare for the mission. The Captain Commander has agreed, and put me in charge of this task. As such, I am sending you five out to handle the matter, my three most promising new recruits and two longest standing seated members. These Hollows must all be destroyed, as they are attacking trading sites and villages one after the other, and seem to have a particular fondness for children. There should be no need to emphasize just how dangerous this situation is. I want you all back alive, though, so please don't do anything too risky. The fourth squad is nothing without it's most talented members. Do you understand the task set before you?"

"Yes, sir." We answered in complete unison. I could feel my adrenaline start to pump: my first mission! And something so important, too!

"Good, you depart in four hours, and the trip there is a week by foot. I suggest you pack wisely. Dismissed."

A sudden shuffle of clothes was all that was heard as we each snapped our heels together, saluting our Captain before Feathering off.

* * *

**Right, so, as you guys probably noticed halfway through, I stuffed two chapters into one update. This is for two reasons: 1) last week's update pretty much sucked, and 2) I felt the first chapter alone would've been more like a filler. At least now we have plot advancement, and the story is back on a roll. Trust me, she makes the plot move pretty fast from here on out. :]**

**I'm really tired right now, but I hope you guys know that even though I don't have the energy to get all enthusiastic, I still love you guys very much and am just as grateful to you as I usually am (even more so considering you put up with the first real filer in the story last week) :SAN (thank you luv for letting me shorten it!), bleach-otaku, Neko-Renku, and nakimina :] Really, I may not be in caps lock, but I truly appreciate the reviews you guys give. It makes me feel so... well, amazing every time I see a review alert :] Thank you again.**

**Also, you guys might want to check out my blog (google doilyrox wordpress and you'll find it, or go to my profile, then click the homepage link), as coming soon I will start posting spoilers for the story :] Not big ones, but just enough to make you think. Not to mention some spells, which you'll be hearing about soon. And an alternate version of the story, where the splitting soon is ALSO coming soon... :] Mwuahahaha, but you'll have to wait for all that, I'm afraid. I want the plot going a bit more before the I start leaking, and the spells/AU can only be published once you guys realize what they're from.**

**...Wow. I just realized how into this story I'm getting :p Hell, I could very well finish this!**

**Hahaha, but anyway, for now I've put up some poetry, and some not-so important other things. I'll tell you in CAPS LOCK (lol) when I put something important up there, or when I start the AU/spells list. Until then, be on the lookout, my friends :]**

**See you next week! Please review!**

**EDIT: okay, so here's why this chapter was so late- I SWEAR TO GOD IT WASN'T MY FAULT! D: If any of you have Bleach stories, then you might be able to sympathize! I JUST figured out how to get past that error page when editing my story online. Before, you had to go to 'edit' and then go to 'content', and for the past week, every time I clicked on 'edit' all i got was 'error'! But now, a friend has shown me how to get past that damned nuisance :D And man... I really wanted this chapter to be up on time. I'm really, really sorry. I swear though, this time I had nothing to to with why it's up late. Oh, and if you didn't notice, this was supposed to be a double chapter- which DOESN'T mean you don't get an update tomorrow, because now that I've figured out how to fix everything, you guys will FINALLY get back on schedule! I am SUPER sorry for the delay! Really! I wish I had figured it out earlier :'( Don't hold it against me! Please! You'll still have your update tomorrow, I swear!  
**


	14. A Second Goal! Micheal, the Poor

**Another double chapter is up! :D On time! Enjoy! I don't own Bleach!

* * *

**"You know Val, I sense this is starting to become something of a theme." Tate commented as he shrugged his bag into a more comfortable position on his shoulder. We were currently walking through the countryside of Northern District One, having just departed from Soul City. Nobody else had initiated conversation up to that point besides 'are you ready?' and nodding, so naturally my friend took it upon himself to make small talk and fill in the slightly uncomfortable silence between our group.

"I don't think I can disagree." I said with a sympathetic smile as I continued to follow the group's leader, none other than third seat Yacub. He looked over his shoulder at the pair of us, a questioning look upon his brow (as usual, his flashing glasses made it impossible to see his eyes).

"Have the two of you worked together before?"

"It's more accurate to say that they've never worked apart." Mol chimed in, knowing all-too well them many times we had worked together. "Always beat every other group in class."

Tate shrugged, "Correction: Val always beat every other group. I'm just a support figure."

"Not true," I chastised, finding his statement more offensive than it was meant to be, as I would have never beaten the other kids without Tate's help, "you're an excellent Leader on the field. Bradley and I never would've won so many times if you weren't there with a plan at every turn."

He laughed shortly, more sarcastic than anything. "Plans that didn't work the majority of the time, you mean. Besides, you're the one everyone follows on the field." Just as I opened my mouth to retort, Yacub jutted in, a slightly irritated tone in his voice.

"At any rate, it's good the two of you know how to work together. Teamwork's something that usually has to be taught to new recruits. Am I correct in assuming you can work well with the pair, Miss Terce?" She looked to each of us in turn, hesitation in her eyes. Sure, she'd been in our classes, and we all knew each other decently well from helping each other out so much in the Magic Club, but she'd never worked with us on the field before. Shrugging slightly, but knowing that he couldn't see it, she answered his question:

"I guess we'll have to see. I know their abilities, but was never grouped with them."

Yacub nodded, not looking at any of us in particular, instead choosing to face forward as he lead the group. The fourth seat, whose name I had gathered to be Jack, took up the rear position of our group. After a few seconds of thinking, Yacub spoke again, "And what are your abilities? As the Captain had said, you are all the top of your graduating class, and to be in this squad, you should be talented in Magic. But where, specifically, do your skills lie?"

It was true. I had the highest scores out of our graduating class, with some kid I had never met coming in as a far away second. Our class was said to be the strongest the Academy had seen in awhile, Captain Mindy's the one before us. And from what I had gathered, she had graduated the Academy with two other current Captains, Lucas being one of them. Captain Gingry's graduating class, however, was considered the best. Himself and five other Captains had known each other for a very, very long time. Not surprisingly, in none of those groups was the seventh squad Captain. But then again, that could change within the next two months, depending on how stable his sanity was.

Mol answered our third seat's question first, being the most confident in herself, "Combining high-level Binding Spells with low level Demon."

"And I'm the opposite." Tate remarked soon after.

I paused, what was I supposed to say? That I was more than proficient at both? That most would consider me at a Captain's level? Not Captain Gingry's level, of course, as he was considered the strongest Captain out of the Thirteen Squads (aside from the Captain Commander, that is). But on par with Lucas, perhaps? I was just as quick (if not quicker) as Mindy, and from Mel's confidence training I could easily say that I had every Spell below seventy memorized and mastered. That still didn't answer his question though. What were my skills in? Everything but hand-to-hand, really.

"And you, Miss Vallery?" Yacub asked when he heard that I hadn't answered. Tate was going to open his mouth a talk for me, but one sharp look from Mol had him silent. She understood my dilemma. If I said I was at Captain level I would be presumed arrogant, to say the least. Not to mention rude, as I was still unseated and my commanding superior officer was the one asking the question.

"I'm proficient in everything except hand-to-hand combat and swordsmanship, sir." One glance at Tate told him not to comment. He pursed his lips and looked away, shoving his hands in his pockets. Yacub must've sensed a tone in my voice, or grew suspicious at my avoidance of the subject, as he looked over his shoulder, sun for once giving way for me to see a pair of sharp and narrow black eyes staring me down.

"What way is your best, Miss Vallery?" It wouldn't have sounded so cold had I not been staring into his piercing eyes as he spoke, but that offered no comfort as my throat constricted in fear. That look was scary, dangerous even. Gentle Flower was the one that sent as small breeze against the group, letting it wrap around me quickly after I had frozen and giving me the confidence I needed to find my voice.

"Binder's Way, sir. But I've been working on Demon's Way, so it's a close second." There, I said it and still managed to avoid the fact that I was likely to be stronger than him. I had told him of my skills without spitting in his face, and that seemed enough for him as he nodded, turning back to face the road he had somehow managed to follow while still peering over his shoulder.

"Good, I've got a feeling we'll be needing that."

* * *

"Stay close and keep a hand on your wallets, the crowds from ninety on can't be trusted with open pockets." Yacub warned, like we have never been in a District higher than ninety before. Well, I had. Tate and Mol were both mysteries, however, as neither of them talked much about the area they grew up in. I had no right to question, either, seeing as they never asked about my home; it was respectful to not inquire about theirs. Yacub, in my opinion, was quickly loosing favor. Sure, he was a great leader, and I knew that he would be less prudish if I was somehow able to prove myself capable of independence, but as that chance had yet to arise Tate, Mol and I were all stuck with his overbearing, penny-pincher attitude. And man, was he a penny-pincher. I had thought, and had been told multiple times, that I was more than a bit hesitant with my money. Such came with my background. Yacub, however, even had the Second Squad Captain beat: and the second squad was in charge of expenses for the entire thirteen Squadrons, providing banking and savings accounts (myself owning a banking account and two separate savings; for Maya and Tif, and then myself). Yacub was beyond anything I had ever seen before. Because of him, we had spent the first four nights of our weeklong journey to the edge of the country practically backpacking; this was the first night he'd permit us to stay at a hotel or inn, as Mol and I were almost begging for showers. His words, as offensive as they could be, were true. I kept my eyes peeled as we started our way through the morning crowds in a small town inside district ninety-one. It wasn't this district that gave us an issue though, it was district one hundred and four, which we reached at about four in the afternoon from an evening of light Feathering; we were making very good time, and had no need to rush. As such, the group had collectively decided to hunt for an inn or hotel so that we could wash up and spend the night in actual beds, and perhaps eat dinner at some cheap restaurant. When we reached the outskirts of the small town, however, things I can't believe I didn't expect to hear were said:

"What poor souls…" Mol pitied as we passed by a shelter off the side of the trail leading to the main street. It was a slate of crooked and dented tin, bloodied in some places like it had been fought over, with a longer branch of some dead tree broken off and thrust into the ground to hold it up. Two scrawny and starved looking men sat below it, not bothering even a glance our way as we passed, preferring to stare at an empty and burnt looking can in the middle of the two of them. Although the others probably didn't know it, the can was no doubt used as a small fire holder in the winter, having run out of its contents a very, very long time ago. I had stayed with a few who had to resort to such tactics on the way to the Academy; the numbers who did so were less and less as I moved north. Here, though, I didn't have a doubt in my mind that such actions were common enough.

"You shouldn't pity them Miss Terce, they're likely to attempt to jump you should you let your guard down." Yacub, who, like always, had his back to me, didn't catch the sharp look I gave to his head. How rude; his constant snotty remarks were absolutely unnecessary. They were the truth, yes, but for a damn good reason- Reapers, like us, had sent them here. We had confined them to this private hell after promising a better time in the afterlife- did we not deserve it? Flaunting the wealth, the power, the honor you gained from being a Reaper so easily, and wanting to just steal it all away from them- beat them, who could had so easily beaten us, beat them into submission and make them pay. Yes, I thought with uncharacteristic venom, I understood the poor perfectly. After one last glance over my shoulder at the pair, however, the anger turned to sympathy. I, too, had been there. I was no better than them, and neither was any Reaper. Lucas had known that when he had first encountered me- I was lucky to have stolen from such an understanding Reaper; any other no doubt would've had me tossed in a prison, or chopped off my hand.

I was so caught up in my thoughts I didn't notice my fellow fresh graduates noticing my shifting moods and exchanging a number of looks amongst themselves; if I had, I would've seen the pity in their gaze as they conjointly put two and two together about my past.

Knowing it was for the best, I kept an eye on my teammates as we entered the Main Street of the town. People were here and there, not enough to call the street crowded, but more along the lines of a typical market evening. Dirt dusted over them, like the majority hadn't bathed in a good couple weeks (which I could completely sympathize with). The sun was turning the sky orange, and in the very far distance we could make out the tip of ice-covered mountains. The buildings around us were shabby and old, wood rotted in more than one place, with planks nailed into random spots to cover up holes or windows. More than once I saw townspeople casing us; though none dared to make a move after I had caught their eye. They obviously weren't the brightest in the country (not even I had cased Reapers so openly), but when they saw my apprehensive look they tended to back off. Every person's face was memorized, every detail of the town- I had a bad feeling, and I was about to figure out why. I was too distracted by a pair of arguing merchants at the side of the street to see him speed walk out of the upcoming alley on our right. He bumped into Tate, picking his pocket too fast for me to see; but making a horrible mistake in the process- a few coins inside Tate's wallet jingled on the edges of my hearing as it was hastily shoved in the young boy's pants pocket.

"Sorry." He muttered to the Reaper, apologizing for the accidental bump, and catching my attention. Tate just grunted his acceptance of the apology, lifting a hand to brush off some of the dirt the boy had transferred onto his uniform. I was the only one to think twice about it, looking over my shoulder to see him quickly making his way down the road; one hand shoved in his pocket and the other nervously clenched. Just then, his elbow bent and his shoulder lifted in the slightest- a gesture I recognized; it was a discreet signal that he had gained another wallet. My eyes widened as I shortly gasped, immediately stepping out of the group and putting myself into a sprint after the boy.

"Stop!" I yelled to him, and he broke into a run just as I finished the word. "Pickpocket!" Tate's short curse and a ruffle of clothes was all I heard before I focused on the boy, who ducked onto a side road, nearly tripping before gaining his footing and continuing on his path. The dirt underneath my feet gave me enough traction to not make his mistake, and I was quickly gaining on him. I shot my arm out when I got close enough, but the skin of his bare back was all the breezed beneath my fingers as he made a sudden left into an alley. Cast off balance, I fell forward, ground rushing up to meet me as I tripped. Pain seared through my face as my nose smashed into the dirt, more than a bit of the filth making it's way into my mouth. My face twisted as the pain slowly but surely started to die down, allowing me enough sense to start to push myself back up. A foot collided with my side not a moment later, causing whomever it was that almost stepped on me to loose their balance. Tate caught himself, however, and with a shouted apology, he continued to go after the pickpocket. I groaned, one hand on my side and the other thrust into the ground as I picked myself up once more. Planting my feet into the dirt, I was able to lift myself back into a standing position. The creak of wood was what drew my attention into the alley- where two unsuspecting barrels stood against the wall of the right building. I knew what had happened in an instant; unable to help the small scowl, I wiped the blood from my nose off my upper lip, casting into the dirt my darkened saliva as I began my way into the alley, walking slowly as to not alert whomever was inside the barrels. Another creak of wood told me my intuition was right, and with a sigh, I lifted the lids off the barrels. The boys inside looked up to me with fear-stricken faces, and one of them, literally, had pissed himself. They were both small, a bit younger than me, with varying features. The one to the left had a bigger build than the one inside the right barrel, who looked almost starved. I had no doubt that the two of them were the drop off for the pickpocket; but I couldn't bring myself to be angry at them. With a sigh, I dropped the barrel lids to the ground, glancing in-between their frightened eyes. "Stand up."

They both did so immediately, and both with shaking knees. They glanced to each other, gulping as tears started to prick at their eyes. The scrawnier one didn't seem able to hold back his fear, because with a twisted face, he brought his hands before him in a begging manner. "Please, Miss Reaper! We didn't mean any harm! We'll give you back the wallet! Just don't hurt us! Please! We don't want to go to jail! We didn't mean nothin'! We promise! Nothin'!"

"Yeah! Yeah!" The bigger boy was quick to agree, tugging down his shirt to hide the stain in his pants. "Please jus' let us go! We don't want no trouble! We're good kids, really!"

I sighed, sympathy with their situation dulling any anger or irritation I might have possible held. "I know you didn't…" Hope gleamed in their eyes, and small smiles cracked onto their faces. "I'll let you go."

"Thank you! Thank you ma'am! We won't ever forget this! Thank you!" They both said similar things as I backed up, allowing them room to crawl out of the barrels. I held my hand out expectantly, and the scrawny one was quick to reply, digging deep into his pocket and pulling out Tate's wallet. I grabbed it from him softly, giving the two a look that said not to go anywhere. They bit their lips, thinking I had changed my decision as I opened the wallet, fingering through the bills to make sure there was Tate's original amount in there. When I saw nothing was missing (Tate always carried around one-hundred on him, just in case), I sighed, folding the wallet shut and slipping it into my pocket. Reaching into my other one, I pulled out a wallet of my own.

"Here," I said, holding out two five dollar bills. It wasn't much, but it was what I could spare, and it'd get them out of the district, at least. "You two should travel south, try to use the money sparingly. Not everywhere is like this. I know it seems like things won't ever get better, but they will. Just head to the lower districts; life is better there."

Their tears didn't stop, but the looks on their faces as they took the money told me that it had changed from sadness and fear to happiness and wonder. "Thank you! Thank you so very, very much!" I smiled, happy, at least, that I was doing something for them. I couldn't guarantee their survival, and I couldn't tell them to go join the Academy, but at least I could help ease their anger against Reapers. The wrath the two of them held against the so-called saviors that sent them here must've been immense, so lessening that was all I could hope for.

"Please," I started, ending their bout of happiness and joy. They paused from their shared grins, looking to me as I looked to the ground. I couldn't bring myself to look them in the eye- the injustice done to them was something no Reaper should ever commit. We were sworn protectors of the people- all people. Poor, rich, old, young. To force someone to live among these districts, live a life of crime, just so they could survive, and them condemn them for it, it was complete and total idiocy. After I'd find Maya, after I become a Captain, I'd change that. I have to. It was the only way I could even hope to make up for the sins of my fellows. "Please don't hold this against us. As Reapers, we-" I choked as my throat began to tighten. Clenching my fist, I swallowed as tears of my own began to rise up; memories of what I had to do to survive, ones that probably couldn't compare to how these boys had to live, were forced down. "We don't know where we send you. Please don't hold your suffering against Reapers, they- we- really don't mean for this to happen." With all the courage I could muster, I looked up to their faces. The shock was huge- both of them looked like they had just been slapped in the face. Slowly, the bigger one nodded. A quick elbow to the chest of the other, and their expressions were once more the same. They nodded, permitting me a small smile as I let out a sigh of relief. Now, to find Tate- A scream interrupted our little moment, coming from the direction I could sense the rest of my group of Reapers at. Eyes going wide, I threw a hand out to stop the two boys from rushing to their brother's aid. "Don't! They'll catch you too!"

"But- Micheal!" The skinner one intruded, fear for his friend's life pushing past his fear of getting caught.

"I'll make sure he's alright. The two of you get out of here; do as I said- head south. He'll be sent right after you." The hesitance was obvious, but who could blame them? I wouldn't listen to a Reaper in their case, not when another short scream just cut through the air. The smaller one cursed, grabbing his bigger friend's arm.

"Come on! We've got to get out of here!" The bigger one seemed less willing to follow my orders.

"Promise me!" He begged, eyes wide in fear as he stared into my own. "Promise me he'll be alright!"

"I promise! Now go, the longer you're here the less likely I'll be able to keep that!" They simultaneously gulped, and after just a moment more, the bigger one nodded, turning with his brother and running from the alley. I watched them go, heart going with them as I swallowed. Hopefully they'd make it to a lower district. Maybe- just maybe they could survive. The pickpocket's short and sudden scream brought my mind back to me, and I Feathered as fast as possible to the boy's side.

* * *

**Chapter 16**

"Vallery!" He exclaimed; withdrawing his hand as if they very thought of nearly hitting his subordinate burned him. The shock in his eyes matched that of Tate's, Mol's and Jack's. Yacub hesitated, searching my eyes for some trace of reason behind my actions, apparently finding none. "Wh-what do you think you're doing? Stand down, immediately!" I bit my lip, shaking my head. I couldn't do that. I couldn't go so thoroughly against my beliefs. "Disobeying a direct order…" He breathed as shock made his features grow to odd proportions, "I could have your uniform for this!"

"My sincerest apologies, sir." And they truly were. I didn't want to disobey him, but I couldn't bring myself to move. This boy was only trying to survive, live in the world we put him in; my feet wouldn't budge. Yacub's jaw dropped in the slightest, too unaccustomed to such outright defiance to even speak. Tate was the first one to get his wits about him.

"Val! The hell are you doing? This brat stole my wallet- and you're protecting him?" Tate gestured rudely to the thief as my back, who hadn't spoken a word. Jack, of course, could be partially to blame for that. He held the boy still, bringing back the kid's arms to a painfully awkward angle. Arms that, I had noticed the instant I set my eyes on the kid, were attached to a pair of hands that had more than a few broken fingers.

Broken fingers… no doubt a seemingly fitting punishment for pickpocketing.

"I took a vow, Tate. The same one as you." His anger dissipated before my eyes, but I didn't lower my guard. For a good reason, too, as Yacub finally seemed to move past his shock.

"To uphold the peace and provide justice, Miss Vallery, words that I think you have misinterpreted. Move aside, now. We have yet to regain a squad mate's wallet; and you are standing in our way of acquiring the whereabouts of his personal property." I lowered only my right arm, digging into my pocket and taking out the wallet. Tossing it to Tate, I returned my arm back to its open position.

"I swore to protect the people, sir. That includes everybody, not just my fellows. I apologize, but I will not stand down until the boy is safely released." Yacub paused, unsure of what to do. Instead, he looked to Tate, who counted his money, then recounted it.

"Is it all there?" He questioned, and Tate nodded, flipping the wallet shut and putting it safely back into his pocket. Yacub's eyes returned to me. I looked into them, seeing past his shining glasses, and standing against his dark eyes. To say I wasn't scared would be a lie- I was positively terrified. I could lose everything I had worked so hard for, everything I hoped of. My chances of finding my sisters would be reduced to nothing. But I had not only made a promise, I was taken with my vows as a Reaper as well. If I was ordered to turn in my uniform for keeping to my word, then so be it. It would show just what type of person Yacub really was after all. Our third seat, after searching my eyes for one last minute, finally closed his. With a sigh, he motioned to Jack, "Let him go." The boy fell to the ground behind me, and I immediately dropped my arms, turned around and kneeling before the pickpocket. Tears of pain stained his cheeks, and his broken fingers were cradled to his bare and filthy chest. A busted lip and bloody chin told me that Yacub's slaps had done more damage than I had originally seen. Fear was in the boy's eyes as he looked around to all of us, but overtaking that was hatred. Resilient, unadulterated hatred. A glob of bloody spit landed on my cheek as the boy did all he could to get me away.

"I don't need your pity, bitch."

"You ungrateful little-" Mol stepped forward and stopped Tate from continuing on his strike. I sighed, taking my sleeve and wiping the bloody saliva off of me. The boy's glare didn't fade. In fact, he seemed to sneer even more.

"I hope you know what you're doing, Miss Vallery. Come find us when you're done here. Move out, everyone. We've still yet to find a hotel." Yacub commanded, and with a 'tch' Tate feathered off. Yacub and Jack disappeared a moment after that, and Mol took one last glance at the two of us before she feathered away. I looked up to the boy, pursing my lips as I examined his face. Dark hair, tan and dirty skin; a pair of deep brown, almost black eyes glared at me even past the fear of just who I was.

"May I see your hands?" I asked, folding my legs and sitting before him Indian style.

"Hell no." He stated, jerking them even farther against his chest and twisting away from me. He was approximately my height, leading me to believe he was not only around my age, but the oldest out of his little group of thieves.

"Your brothers are safe; I gave them each a bit of money and sent them south with the promise that I'd send you after them. I don't want to break that promise, now please, may I see your hands?" His eyes were analyzing, but warm as they searched mine for the truth. After watching me for something, anything that told him I wasn't lying, he finally nodded, slowly stretching his arms out to midway between us. "Thank you." I sighed, taking his palms into mine. I tsked lightly as I saw the damage- six of his fingers were broken, four on his left and two on his right. Pushing my soul energy into my palms, and by extension his, my brows furrowed as I focus on what little talent I had with Healing. "I'm not going to ask you to forgive them for this, but please forgive me for letting this happen. Hold your breath- this is going to hurt."

His brows furrowed in something like confusion, but he didn't take my advice until it was too late. He yelped, reflex almost snatching his hands out of my own as his fingers were snapped into place. I pushed more energy into him, hoping to ease the pain as tears once more sprung to his eyes. His cries were silenced, however, as he bit his lip to keep them from coming out. "Hard part over." He nodded silently, taking deep and calming breaths to help with the pain, which should've been all but gone with the amount of energy I was using to heal the formerly snatched appendages.

"Does anything else hurt?" I asked after awhile, and he opened his eyes to look at me. Though he said nothing, I could still see the hurt behind them. He looked away, and I took that as I yes as I scanned over the rest of his body. Two red marks wrapped entirely around his biceps, not to mention his busted mouth. The hands were the worst of the damage, however, and once those were done I lifted my glowing palms up to his biceps, where I began to heal the would-be bruises.

"Why are you doing this?" He asked at a distance, hands falling into his lap as he guiltily didn't meet my eyes.

"Micheal, right?" Shocked brown looked up to mine immediately, before he lost whatever feeling he had and looked away, nodding with something like shame gracing his features. "Your brothers mentioned your name… I was a street rat, too." I didn't meet his eyes as he looked up to me, instead focusing on his arms as I spoke. "I stole to support my sisters, until one day, like you, I pickpocketed a Reaper. They were nicer, though, and didn't beat me senseless. After that, I decided to become one. We're meant to protect and serve the people; coming from poverty like this…" I took a deep breath, shaking my head in disdain, "…it's shameful to admit there are those among us who would do this to someone whose just trying to survive. And when we put them in this situation, no less…" Done with his arms, I dropped my left hand into my lap, placing my right hand against his jaw, letting my energy restore his lip and mouth.

"Are things really better down south?" He asked, eyes hopeful. I sighed, not wanting to lie to him.

"The closer you get towards Soul City, the less poverty there is. I can't promise you free food and clothes though. You'll probably still have to steal to survive. It'll be easier, though. People carry more money on them, and food is easier to buy than snatch half the time. I wouldn't go too close, though. Reapers tend to patrol more the closer you get to the capital. There, all done. How do you feel?" I pulled my hand back into myself, leaning away from him. He hesitated, flexing his fingers in his lap. Pushing myself up, I held a hand out to him as I stood. He looked to it, glanced at me, before taking my hand. I pulled him up, giving him a small smile as I dropped his hand, instead shoving my own into my pocket. Pulling out my wallet, I quickly grabbed ten dollars and handed it out to him. Debate took his expression, and he bit his lip in indecision. "Take it," I offered, lifting the money closer to him, "it'll get you to a lower district."

He still seemed iffy, but he took the money anyway, slowly taking it from my hand and shoving it into his own pocket. I gave him one last smile, waving slightly as I turned around, preparing to go find my third seat and formally apologize. Who knows whoat would happen if I didn't.

"Wait!" He called as I was ten steps away. I paused, looking back over my shoulder at him. He bit his lip, red taking over his cheeks as he blushed and looked away, "I never got your name…" I barely caught his mutter, but with a smile, I turned away.

"Vallery Wilkenson!" I shouted back at him before feathering off to where I felt Yacub.

* * *

"And he just… forgave you?" Mol asked from across the room, dabbing her hair dry with a towel. She had offered to take a shower last, allowing me the warmer water (bless her). The two of us shared a room just across the hall from the three boys; it was small, and definitely needed a good dusting, but a bed was a bed as I lay across the mattress, talking with my squad mate, who sat on her own bed.

"Yep… it was weird, though, he wouldn't look at me." I admitted as I folded my arms beneath my head. "Even though he didn't seem angry at all. Not disappointed, either… I honestly couldn't tell what he was thinking." Mol sighed, standing from her bed and crossing the room to come sit by me. With a small smile, she leaned against the wall of the room, eyes lingering on her own bed as she fell into silence. Seeing that she wanted to talk, I said nothing as she sorted out the words in her head.

"Why…" She finally started, breaking the silence, but still not looking at me, "why did you stick up for that kid? I mean, it's your business and all, and you know it's not a big secret about where you're from, but still… why did you stick up for him? By the law, he should be in jail right now, or missing a hand or something. But you still stood up for him, even when Yacub threatened to have you thrown out… I would've stepped aside."

"I don't think you would've." I admitted honestly. Her words were untrue, in my position; she probably would've done the same thing. She just didn't know herself well enough to see it. My statement brought her eyes to me, and I continued when I saw I had her attention. "I made a promise to his brothers to keep him safe- they're the ones who had Tate's wallet- and I couldn't get them to safety unless I promised I'd get their brother there too. Besides, Mol, it's like I said: we all took vows to protect the people. The status of a person doesn't matter: vows are vows. If I broke those I'd feel so guilty I'd probably have to resign, anyway." She paused, blinking for a few seconds. A smile broke out across her face soon after, and she laughed lightly while pushing herself off my bed.

"What?" I asked, not getting what was so funny. I was being completely serious.

"It's just ironic that the kindest person I know happens to not only be one of the youngest, but also the strongest in the entire Thirteen Squads. You're modest, strong in your beliefs, and courageous enough to stand up for them. I used to think you were scary, Val, but I just can't help but relate you to a teddy bear now that I see that soft side of yours."

"Teddy bear?" I questioned as she flipped off the lights, moving through the dark room over to her bed.

"Yep. A giant, fluffy teddy bear." She answered as she crawled under the covers, her smile audible in her tone.

"How am I a teddy bear?" I asked as I did the same. She just laughed lightly, further confusing me.

"Goodnight, Val." Seeing that no amount of pestering would get the answer out of her tonight, I just filed it under things to discuss later, as I was a bit more than tired from how much energy I had expended today.

"Okay, then. Goodnight." My dream that night consisted of said animal as I pondered just how I could be related.

* * *

"Captain Level!" He shouted again, glaring at the sky as he pulled on his hair. Our third seat was showing an uncharacteristic amount of anger, though I suppose it was well-deserved. We had arrived at the hollow infested area, only to have Jack taken hostage by a Hollow. We managed to get him back, but Hollows started to swarm the area and surround us. So, naturally, I destroyed them all with Thunder Roar Sear, which had become something of a specialty after I had mastered it. After the third seat had recovered from shock (he had been ordering us to fall back, but the Hollows had two children captive, so I once more disobeyed orders), he had taken to screaming and ranting and pulling his hair out. Mol had returned the two children to the Canadian authorities, and was currently healing Jack's wounds as we started on our long way back to Soul City. Tate was busy trying to avoid Yacub's wrath, as he had just suffered a very intimidating session of 'and you knew about it?', delivered by the only still angry person in the group. So, when I say well-deserved, when taken in that this was the second time I disobeyed orders, and not to mention that I might have accidentally showed him up this time, his anger was rather well placed. "And you didn't feel the need to tell me?"

"I really am sorry, sir. I thought it'd sound rude…" I stated for the millionth time. I really was sorry though, as deceiving him was never my attention.

"Rude? Hah! Of course I wouldn't have believed you! But a little heads up is better than nothing, Miss Wilkenson!" I winced, avoiding his eyes as he fumed. "Captain told me you were gifted, but what in the seven hells was that?"

"Demon's Way Sixty three, sir. Thunder Roar Sear."

His face fell, "You've mastered a level sixty three spell to the point of not having to call its name?" I hesitated, sensing something was off, but nodded after a moment of silence. The third seat paused, examining me to see if I was telling the truth. Not that there was much to lie about, mind you, as I had preformed the spell right in front of his face not moments ago. After the silence had become too much to bear, I snuck a glance at the third seat, finding him still watching me past those flashing glasses. "What, Miss Vallery, is your ultimate goal?"

"To find my little sister, sir." I answered automatically. I had thought he'd known, seeing as I told everyone that ever asked, but he didn't seem to be looking for that answer.

"After that, I mean. Do you eventually want to become a Captain?" His tone was serious, intimidating. I bit my lip, nodding.

"Yes, sir. If I become a Captain, I can help with the poverty in the lower districts easier, sir."

"…You wish to get rid of poverty?" His tone was skeptical. Perhaps even a bit on the mocking side. I knew it was a childish thing to hold as a goal, but it was a goal nonetheless. I couldn't let things continue as they were in this country. Not with so many suffering, starving. Children dying of hunger and people murdering each other over necessities… it was too sad for me to not want to fix. The meeting with Micheal and his brothers had only made me certain of that objective.

"As much as possible, sir." A snort, and then a chuckle erupted from his mouth. He palmed his face, turning around and away from me as he continued to laugh. I winced, pursing my lips at his rather rude behavior, but finding it altogether a good sign. If he was laughing, he was less likely to slap me upside the head or give me extra chores for my insubordination.

"Come on now, everyone. Let's go home." He stated, smile still in his voice as he started to walk away, hands shoved in his pockets. Tate and I shared a skeptical look, but quickly fell in behind him as Mol continued to support Jack, who leaned on her from his injuries as he took the rear. A few bouts of light laughter came from the third seat's chest every now and then, making me slightly worried for his sanity as we began our way back to Soul City.

* * *

"Vallleryyy…. I'm not gettinnng iiiit…" Our fifteenth seat complained as I passed by the training grounds. With small rivulets of tears running down his face, I couldn't help a sweatdrop at the timely over-dramatics. What I meant by that was simple: just like every other seated officer that happened to need something, it was always when I had just started my break that they would spot me to ask for assistance. Powers that be forbid if I was actually busy.

My shoulders caved as I sighed, stepping out from under the shade of the pavilion with my hands shoved in my pockets as I approached him, "What are you needing help with, Walker?"

"Demon's Way fifty four…" He complained, tears building as I blinked in shock. What? He was still on that? I had helped him with it three days ago!

"Are you still not putting enough energy into it?" I asked; brows furrowed. I had thought we had gotten it down pat. If he needed more help, though, who was I to deny him it? The stronger the individual, the stronger the squad.

He shook his head, at a loss of what to do, "No, my energy is the same. I don't remember what I'm doing wrong though… Help me? Pleeeease?"

"Of course." I took a single step back, motioning to the straw doll at the end of the field. "Show me what you've got." He nodded, discouraged look still on his face as he turned away from me, facing down at the doll. With a swing of his arm and the call of the spell's name, purple energy morphed into the Abolishing Flames before he sent it flying down the field, where it went straight off target, hitting the wall five dolls down. I snickered lightly, seeing his problem immediately. His arm dropped, and he looked to me with a grieving expression.

"Don't laugh! It's not funny!" He tucked his arms up to his chest, worming around with the tears coming back, "I had it perfect yesterday!"

"Walker, Walker, Walker..." I sighed, shaking my head as I patted his arm in slight pity, but mostly amusement. "Which way was your palm facing when you aimed your attack?"

Walker blinked, snapped out of his exaggerated movements when the simplicity of his mistake hit him. Purple swirls of depression quickly formed over his head as his shoulders drooped, "Up… It's supposed to be down… I'm such an idiot… dragging you all the way out here only to be making such a stupid mistake…"

I laughed lightly, waving him off, "It's fine, really. Just chalk it up as a learning experience. Besides, it's little things like that that get the best of us sometimes." Clapping a hand on his arm once more, I turned around and folded my arms behind my back as I began my way back to the break room, where I would finally get the chance to relax for the day.

"Thank you, Vallery!" He shouted, and instead of replying, I just shot a thumbs up in the air before Feathering off.

* * *

"Oh Vallery~!" Yacub's voice called as I rested in the break room, stretched across one of the fluffy couches offered. After being caught right in front of the door (after helping Walker earlier this day), I had to run a few errands across Soul City for Jack, who was too busy picking up the Captain's lunch to complete everything on hand. And then after that, just when I began to make my way back from delivering all the papers, I was caught by Lucas, who asked if I had a moment to spare to help the Third Squad's Lieutenant (whose name I finally learned to be Trevan) plant a few flowers out in the courtyard. When that was finished, I was attacked by Mindy once more, and with no one to save me, I finally managed to wriggle free of her, only to race around for a good hour trying to get her off my tracks.

Needless to say, it was approaching dinner, and I was exhausted.

"Yes, sir?" My voice strained as I tilted my head to the door, where I heard Yacub's voice coming from. His glasses glinted in the room's lighting, as a wide smile seemed to be permanently swept across his face. He had been in unusual high spirits ever since the mission's end, enough to give near anyone chills. Mindy was so scared she wouldn't even enter the barracks (which was a good thing for me, so I wasn't complaining too much). I hadn't been reported to the Captain either, apparently, as no scolding for my insubordination had been dealt.

"Could you help me with filling out some of this paperwork? I promise I won't make you run around like everyone else has today." He bargained, entering the room with a three-pound stack of paperwork. I sweatdropped, unable to deny him help after seeing the load that was put onto him.

"As long as you promise." I stated, curling my legs up to my chest before pushing myself into a seated position on the couch. He beamed, flouncing over to my side before plopping down beside me. Setting the papers on the coffee table before us, he whipped a pen out from his pocket and handed it to me, before pulling a clipboard out of seemingly nowhere and doing the same. Despite being just a bit creeped out at my third seat's uncharacteristic behavior, I set to work, grabbing the first set of stapled papers and beginning to read through them. Fifteen minutes and two sets later, I could barely take the silence anymore. It just wasn't comfortable with me; even though the third seat seemed to be just dandy with it. Every now and then, too, he'd laugh to himself just lightly enough to make me question whether or not I had heard anything at all. So it was with great hesitance that I broke the silence; "How is everything going for you, Yacub?"

He blinked, glancing at me from his paperwork for the slightest of seconds before his smile grew even bigger, "Oh, nothing too important, really. Just enjoying life."

"More so than usual?" I asked, and he nodded.

"Slightly, yes."

"Mm-hmm." I confirmed, not really knowing what to say. Did that mean the rumors about him getting promoted were false? I bit my lip as I signed another paper, marking it a-okay before taking it from my clipboard and setting it in the growing pile of sets completed. "I heard a rumor you were going to be promoted; is it true?"

His smile bloomed into a grin, but he said nothing on the matter. "How is the paperwork coming, Val?"

I blinked, unused to him using my nickname. He almost always called me Vallery, and when angry, Wilkenson. But then again, if he was in such a good mood, why spoil it for him? Besides, his ever-growing smile told me that the rumors just might be true. "Fine. It's not that bad, actually. Though I can see how it becomes toilsome after a couple hours."

He chuckled, shoulders shaking at the sound; "Oh, just you wait." My brows furrowed, what did that mean? But he didn't give me time to ask, as he quickly brought up another subject: "Everyone seems to be rather impressed with you lately, Miss Vallery. I've heard nothing but compliments on your patience and hard work ever since you joined the squad, did you know that?"

"No, sir," I shook my head, "I didn't." Not that I didn't deserve it, though. I had been working very hard, putting in extra hours here or there when necessary. It had come to the point that I had, just a week ago, went down to the bank and set up a system for my pay- I had more money than I knew what to do with. As such, I had them set out percentages of my paycheck to be taken and deposited automatically, so I never had to handle money, really. A debit card and just a bit of cash was all I carried in my wallet; as it was all I needed. But that didn't mean that the work was for the money- not by any means. In fact, the smallest portion went to my actual spending account. The rest was savings, savings, and more savings for the day I would find Maya, so I could spend it all on her and Tif. Get them a nice home in a nearby district, perhaps. Let Tif attend the Academy while I watched Maya- that would be nice.

"Well, when it comes time to reap the rewards of your labor, don't be afraid to do so. I won't, in any way, be offended."

"Um, okay…" I droned off, not really getting his evasive and confusing statements. Had he even answered a single question directly today? Probably not, knowing his good mood. Something told me, however, that he wouldn't answer if I asked him just what he was referring to; so the paperwork was finished in a quiet much more comfortable than the first- and I went straight to dinner, catching the meal before going out on a light jog with some squad mates and afterwards crawling into my bunk below a log-like Mol Terce, exhausted from the day's events.

* * *

**Another whopping double chapter! :D Yayness! So, after yesterday's note, i really don't have much more to say. Just plot, plot, plot, blah blah, blah really. Oh, and an GI-FRIKIN-NORMOUS thank you to bleach-otaku, who reviewed last chapter even though they knew I'd update today :] Means a LOT! Really! :D Thank you!**

**Hurray for back on schedule-ness! See you next week! Please review!**


	15. Promotion! Coworkers are weird!

**I'm Baaaaaack! XD Now that MSD's writer's block is done and over with, please look forward to an unsteady but still weekly update schedule, as I've got 30+ chapters of Soar! on reserve, and that'll probably last me until the new Year... and man, I'm totally super psyched about being able to update again, let me tell you. You guys are gunna FREAK when the plot hits. Not now, of course, but until then I'll try double chapters so that we can get there quicker... xD Now onto the stuff you Actually want to read!**

**I don't own Bleach. If I did, I'd never have an issue updating.**

* * *

"A mission?" I questioned, shifting before Captain Gingry's desk. He nodded with a smile, evergreen eyes bright with his ever-unreadable emotions.

"Correct."

"But… Yacub's the third seat, isn't he more suited to go with you?" A kind smile folded over his face as my hesitance- Yacub wasn't the type to want somebody else go and take his place on such matters. He may have been in a good mood of late, but something of this manner was sure to be such a snap at his pride, it would all be foiled.

"Quite actually, he recommended you. Something along the lines of you being 'more suited' for the task, I do believe. He clammed up when I tried to question him about it however, but you know how he can be." At my disbelieving shock, he shrugged lightly, chair leaned back in the slightest as he relaxed against it. "I've come to trust his judgment on such matters. So, what do you say? Come with me?"

"O-of course!" I stuttered; Yacub had recommended me? Was that what he was talking about the day before yesterday? If it was, than it would only be right for me to accept the Captain's offer- not that I could really turn it down it the first place. He was a Captain. "When do we leave, sir?"

"Tomorrow, eight in the morning. If you would meet me at the Barrack gates, we can then walk to the Southern Gate together. Mexico has given us exclusive permission to cross their border; so we must be on our best behavior when in their country. Raiders are raiders, however; and we should deal with them as efficiently as possible so that nobody is further harmed by their attacks. Normally their government would handle this, but they have already lost three Lieutenants to the gang, and fear loosing more. They've promised significant discounts on their trading goods for the next twenty years should we prove capable of ridding them of the problem. And as always, the Void Star never fails its allies. Especially with the Centennial Celebration so close- we need to be as friendly as possible so that they attend in good spirits. Is everything clear, Miss Vallery?"

"As a crystal, sir." I replied, some amount of pride starting to swell within me. Another mission already!- and with the Captain at that! What luck!

"Very good then. Salute." I snapped to attention, heels brought together immediately, with fingers breezing across my forehead at the downward angle the graduating class had to perfect at the Academy. Smile still in place, he nodded to me one last time, "Dismissed."

I feathered off to Tate to tell him the amazing news.

* * *

"Are you ready, Miss Vallery?" The Captain asked as he approached the Barrack gate, precisely on time. I, on the other hand, being anxious, had arrived five minutes early.

"Yes, sir!" I smiled, shrugging my lightly packed duffel. It's strap fell across my chest diagonally, allowing me a bit more freedom of movement in the arms as I laced my fingers together behind my back- allowing me to both indirectly hold my bag in place and have something to do with my hands besides put them in my pockets. He wore the strap of his own bag over only one shoulder, somehow making it seem weightless. A light chuckle spilled from his chest at my enthusiasm, and with a smile that made his winter evergreen's wrinkle at the edges, he nodded.

"Let's head out, then. How's a light feather for pacing?"

"Fine by me, sir." With my agreement he disappeared, and I barely caught his direction before following after him, quickly catching his tail before feathering up to his back left side and keeping pace with him.

* * *

Things passed quickly for a few days after that. We had taken a route to the southwest, one that relieved good amount of my stress by keeping me far, far away from South District 94, which situated itself on the eastern side of the southern districts. Some memories I just wasn't ready to face as of yet. Even more to my general good mood, I had come to notice a good amount of things about Captain Gingry simply by participating in small talk with him; which happened decently often, considering there wasn't much of anybody else to talk to. From this small talk I learned that his Birthday was April fifteenth, that he was the president of the Magic Club during the last three of his five years at the Academy, and that his favorite food happened to be cherry cobbler. I had also come to find that while many of the current day Captains and Lieutenants had been in his division at one point or another, he had only had one lieutenant in his three hundred years of serving as the Captain of Fourth Squad; and the lieutenant was temporary, at that. He was a Shinigami from Japan, who one hundred and fifty years ago participated in the exchange program that was held between America and Japan before the program was abolished at the last Centennial Celebration. He had the position because he was a lieutenant in Japan at the time, and there was no other matching position in the Thirteen Squads other than under Captain Gingry's banner. His name, from what I had gathered, was Sosuke Aizen, and was one of the most talented Magic (they called it Kido in Japan) users Gingry had ever seen. Having been promoted shortly before the last Centennial Celebration to a Captain (as his own and a good number of other high-ranking other Shinigami disappeared just a year before), he could credit his expertise in the art of Magic to my current Captain, who was said to be the strongest in the World at his Magic skills. He was, without a doubt to anyone in all of the Thirteen Squads, the second strongest Reaper in the history of our nation, the Captain Commander the only above him.

Although that is no excuse for why I almost faltered in my duty to protect said man when the time came. It was an ambush; we hadn't seen it coming in the least. It was dark, and they had the advantage of knowing the landscape; and considering we were still ten miles from the location of their supposed hideout (gaining that information was what had cost the lives of those three lieutenants) we hadn't the slightest inclination of their intentions. Neither of us felt them coming, so when a spear came flying through the darkness from atop one of the plateaus we walked between (it was like a great ravine, with a desert climate making it impossible to keep our uniforms black instead of brown) and grazed by my head, I dodged at the last minute. This, of course, left my Captain's back open, and the attack almost hit him before I wordlessly Repulsed it. Its shaft bent at it hit the invisible shield, wobbling in midair before bouncing back, clattering to the dusty ground at our feet. Winter evergreens turned to me in shock, and I met them for the briefest of moments before our attention was turned to the sound of whizzing air. We looked to the sky in unison, finding several spears soaring over the edges of the plateaus and cascading down to us at a frightening speed. A snap of his fingers later, and an orange shield arced over our heads, protecting us from the pointed weapons as they crashed into the spell's surface, splintering into pieces and raining down around the edges of the shield. A war cry pierced the craggy land as a raider's clothed figure morphed out of the darkness, running at us in a full sprint, two steel daggers in hand. I moved out from under the shield as the hail of blade and wood ended, meeting the man just as he came within ten feet of my Captain. He swung the blades down at me violently, and not being one for hand to hand fighting, I was thankful for once that my small size allowed me to evade the attack. He pressed one foot forward to catch himself, about to swipe at me again as I closed the distance between us, placing a hand forcefully against his hip.

"Bound Lightening." The spell's effect lit up the area, outshining the moon for the slightest of seconds as his electrocuted body glowed, hair standing up on end as it sparked and fizzled in the night, his teeth clamped together. But the moment was quickly over, and he fell to the ground, seared flesh and burnt hair causing a stench to arise in the air. I looked up from his corpse, meeting my Captain's eyes once more before a great shout again broke away our gazes. We looked up to the plateaus, where figures were jumping off the mountain-like structures, shouting out different things in their native tongue as they fell. The first one to hit the ground rolled to soften the impact, and as if they had been doing it all their life, sprang to their feet in seamless maneuvering, pulling out a knife while doing so before charging my Captain. I didn't have the time to intercept this one, however, as another soon feel to the ground to my back, and seeing me as just as much a threat for killing his ally, brought out his own knife as he ran towards me. Batting him off was easy, but as I soon realized, I couldn't keep this up forever. They had surrounded us on all sides, forcing us apart by a good twenty bodies in between. I bit my lip as I forced another away, shoving him off of me and into the blade of his companion. The one holding the weapon for his friend's death shrieked and let go of the handle, appalled at what he had just accidentally done. My attention was quickly diverted away, however, when a female raider appeared to my right, swinging a sword down. I barely dodged, stumbling backwards and into the grasp of a large handed raider. The woman lifted her sword from the ground as I began to struggle vainly against the strong palms, panicked mind barely registering the fact that people started to turn away, focusing their attention to my Captain. I had to stop them. I didn't want to die. I didn't want to die. The woman approached, blade glinting in the moonlight as Captain Gingry shouted something, something that I couldn't hear over the sound of my blood rushing in my ears and the battle calls of the raiders. As she stepped again under the starry sky, she began to lift her sword into the air, aiming it perfectly above me.

"Death shall love you tonight." She spoke in accented English, turning her sword above me as I shrank back, mind racing for something, anything to get me out of this position. I didn't want to die. I still had to find Maya. I had to protect my Captain. There were still starving children I wanted to feed. I had so much to learn, I want to live! I hadn't even had my first kiss! Too soon, her blade began to cascade down, dark eyes penetrating the night as they glared into my soul. Time slowed to a near stop as my reality crashed down, and I now knew what my Captain was shouting, nothing other than my name. The man behind me was too strong to jerk away from, and I was going to die under the moonlight of the Mexican sky. The blade bit into my shoulder, easily piercing my clothes as the blood simultaneously began to flow out of the wound. With the pain came a clearance of thought, and the words I never thought I'd remember came back to me.

"Strike!" I yelled as the blade hit my collarbone and time resumed its natural speed. A red light lit their skin, freezing them in place as the level nine Binding Spell worked with supreme effects. No second was spared to give them the reaction they'd need, as I quickly shouted out the next spell in my arsenal, "Bound Lightening!" The blade in my bone served as a perfect transfer of the electricity into the woman's immobile body, and the pair collapsed to the ground as I dismissed the Binding spell wordlessly. Turning to the large group that had focused itself on my Captain, I knew I had to trust in his greater abilities to protect himself from my attack. I threw my arms up before me, ignoring the pain of my shoulder and facing the large group. "Demon's Way Eighty Eight! Flying Dragon Striking Heaven," A splitting Void was thrown up facing me inside the crowd just as I recited the last of the powerful spell's name, "Shaking Thunder Cannon!" To say the blue electrical and spiritual energy mix was massive would be an understatement; the ground rattled as I released the attack, nearly blinding myself from the great light given off of it. It crashed onto and around my Captain's shield, turning everything into its giant path into nothingness, and everything it didn't touch into ash. The raiders were completely destroyed as the burst of pure energy fizzled out as quickly as it appeared, leaving my Captain and his shield the only things standing (besides myself) within a five-mile radius. I expelled all the air in my lungs as I dropped my arms; mind starting to go blurry from the conjoined blood loss and extreme amount of energy I put into that attack. The ground surged up to meet me as I started to black out, but it never came as two strong arms caught me in my descent, and Captain Gingry's familiar scent washed over me, putting my mind at ease as I thanked the Heavens that he was safe. But even that was not enough to stop the enclosing darkness as it took over my mind.

* * *

I woke to the sound of a crackling fire, but I didn't move at first, hazy mind preferring to relax for a few more seconds before I got up for the day. Perhaps it was the Captain's scent that made me so at ease, or the fact that it was so cool outside, and underneath these blankets seemed a much warmer option. After a few seconds of taking it all in did it actually register. The blankets bent beneath me as I sat up suddenly, eyes pushed open as I blinked past the rising sun, the brightness blinding me over the dusty terrain, glaring at me even past the fire's orange flames.

"Oh! Goodmorning!" Came Captain Gingry's cheery voice as I squinted my eyes from the sudden light, bringing my fists up to rub them clear. "I took the liberty of making breakfast. I hope you don't mind canned soup, because that's all I'd thought to bring." Slowly, I lowered my left arm down, blinking that eye open and focusing more on getting the right clean.

"Thank you." I slowly dropped my hand to my lap before laying it back behind me, about to put my weight on it so I could lift myself into a better seated position when his voice cut through again, warning me otherwise.

"I'd be careful about working that arm too much; I did what I could to heal it, but I'm afraid I've never been too proficient in the Healing Arts. Don't fret though; I'll have Lucas see to it when we return. I did, however, manage to get rid of that nasty cut you got on your head from the spear." I stopped my procedure of leaning back as soon as he had started, and at mention of my head wound, lifted my right hand to feel where the attack had been. Noticing nothing there, I took that moment to look down and see just how banged up I was. Captain Gingry had managed to heal something of the woman's attack and bandage the wound. He had also lent me one of his baggy shirts, which managed to both dwarf me and provide perfect breathing room at the same time (as odd as it struck me, I didn't want to complain too much, as a baggy shirt was appreciated compared to the uniform's skin tight alternate). He had, apparently, been too much of a gentleman to go through my bag at all, as it was also his blankets that I was laying in.

"M-mm. Thank you." I looked down at my bandaged chest, hoping he hadn't found the need to remove my bra while healing me, but being even more concerned about where he slept last night if I was using his bedding. Looking up, I was about to question him on it when he saw the look on my face and saved me the breath.

"Oh, don't worry. I hadn't any need for those blankets last night- after you feinted I healed and bandaged you before laying you down and putting up a barrier. Then I proceeded onto the raider's camp and took care of the rest. Which-" He emphasized, stopping me from butting in on just how irresponsible that was, as he was a Captain and therefore it was too risky for him to do such a thing alone, "turned out to be all too easy, as they had heard of our coming and sent the majority of their group to take us out. All that was there were the leader and a few guards, with numerous native hostages. By the time I freed the hostages and led them to safety, the sun was beginning to rise, so I came back here. And before you start on how I need my sleep," he interrupted my almost interruption once more, "I am perfectly capable of going a day without rest. I haven't used much of my energy, as you're the one who took care to the raiders, for the most part. I shall be fine for now. Now, soup?" He held up a can of the heated substance, wagging it in the air with a teasing look in his eyes, a smile playing upon his face. I sighed, small smile of my own coming into place. That was Captain Gingry, alright. Shaking my head at his antics, I pushed myself out of the makeshift bed with my right arm, going over to him and taking the can before backing a step away, sitting on his left a few feet as we surrounded the fire. He expertly pulled back his sleeve as he once more reached into the flame, pulling out his own can with his fingertips. Silent Magic made the wind sweep up and around the tin, cooling it to the touch and enabling him to fully grasp it before leaning away from the burning wood. When he pulled up his sleeve, however, I took notice to the tattoo wrapped around his forearm- the very style that both Mindy and Lucas had theirs written in. Sure enough, a number four in solid black twisted around his skin, proclaiming him to be the sole Captain of Fourth Squad.

"Do they hurt?" I asked out of sudden curiosity. It looked like they did. Seeing my gaze, he nodded with a small smile.

"Yes, but the pain is worth it. After all, if there was no pain, would it really be a proper representation of where your loyalties lie?" His wisdom made me blink as I turned my gaze into the fire, and slowly my brain registered that it was true. I nodded absentmindedly, lifting the cooled can to my lips and sipping at the chicken noodle soup within. My thoughts traced back to the night before, and we fell into a comfortable silence as we watched the fire slowly start to shrink as we took our breakfast.

I hadn't wanted to die. That was main reason I was still alive. It was because I feared death so much that I was able to evade it. Primal panic had taken over… it was no wonder I couldn't think until I felt the pain of that woman's blade. It had pushed away everything. Perhaps in the future, should something like that happen once more; I would have to bite my tongue or something to clear my mind. I wouldn't get lucky again, that much I knew. Death had loomed over me. Greater than the darkness of the night, swift as the fall of the blade itself… I had, in fact, gotten lucky. If her attack had been two inches over it would've sliced my jugular, dooming me to death's embrace.

"I hadn't realized you'd progressed so much, you know." Captain Gingry broke me from my rather dark thoughts as I snapped out of my trance-like state, looking up to him. He watched me carefully, a smile still in place upon his lips even as they parted to continue his words. "It's very rare, to find someone who progresses that quickly to the level of Captain. I admit you could've easily become the Lieutenant of any other squad within a week of your graduation. But, it's better late than never, right?"

What?

My lips parted, but no words came out as my brain attempted to wrap itself around his words. Was he implying what I think he was implying? But, there was no way. I mean, he himself said that he had never had a lieutenant outside of that Sosuke guy, and even the exchange lieutenant was temporary. So, it had to be impossible, right? I had given up just about any hope of becoming the lieutenant of the division, so the notion was so far-fetched in my mind, I couldn't even understand the slightest bit of his reasoning.

With a growing expression of amusement, he continued, "Then again, I've never really offered the position to anyone. I like to think myself strong enough to handle my squad on my own, but lately such thoughts are growing far and far more distant. Come the New Year I'll be losing Yacub, too. Tenth Squad Captain just lost his lieutenant, so I recommended him for the position. I would give you his seat, but that friend of yours, Tate, is at the level of lieutenant already, so I would imagine he's more suited for all the paperwork and such. And besides, you're much too energetic to be trapped behind a desk all day. I myself find it atrociously boring."

"I-e-wha?" I stumbled over my words, in too much shock to really sort out my sentences. He paused in his explanation, waiting for me to get my head screwed on straight. "I- ah-are you offering me the position of lieutenant?"

"I am." He said calmly, assessing my confusion with those ever penetrating eyes, "Are you refusing?"

"N-no!" My immediate answer brought the smile back to his face, "I-I mean, it's just unexpected, is all."

He shrugged, looking into the fire as he took another few swallows of his soup. I did the same as he spoke again, "I can see why. But I am getting old, so I do need to stop being so stubborn, I suppose. Ah! That reminds me!" Captain Gingry blinked away from the fire, placing his soup down by his seat and lifting himself off the ground from his lazed back position. From there he crossed the small site we had camped out at and went to his bag, which lay beside mine by his blankets. For two minutes or so he shuffled around his bag, relaxed expression showing that he wasn't, even in the slightest, frustrated at the time it took to find the object. I perked up when he stood up with it in hand, but his body blocked whatever it was until he crossed back in front of me, holding it out with a oddly gentle sort of confidence. I took it, examining it as he explained its purpose. "My predecessor gave it to me when I became his lieutenant, and him his, so on and so on. It dates back to the Nomadic times, but it's written in decipherable English. Others have scribbled in translations for some of the characters; as most, I imagine, you won't be familiar with. It's yours, keep it and study it or sell it to the highest bidder. Though I'll be disappointed if the latter is your choice, it is yours to give to whom you will. I've added a few of my own creations to its pages, as I assume you one day will."

I set my soup down to hold the old and fragile leather bound book. No characters were engraved upon the front, and no introduction upon the first page of its weathered surface. Carefully I flipped through the glorified object's bodice, being sure to treat her with gentle fingers; the relic seemed worn enough as it is. Instead of any kind of preparation, or even slight inclination of just what the book contained as a heads up, it delved immediately into a spell. As my Captain had said, most words were in English, though some were obviously from the native tongue of the nomadic peoples who grazed the lands of present day Soul Country before even the Clans Peoples Times. Off to the side of the pages, in a different handwriting, translations were scribbled for the majority of such dead words. Seeing the purely handwritten book's edges drew my attention to the inside cover, where, in different and individual styles of writing, names were written. Two columns were made, and at the very bottom of the second column, my Captain's name was scrawled in neat cursive: David Gingry. No title or rank adorned any of the names, suggesting that anything of that sort meant absolutely nothing to the many who had marked upon it's pages.

"Everything in there," My Captain started, and I looked up from the sacred object's pages to find him looking straight at me with an all-too serious expression, "is highly advanced Magic. They're the personally developed moves of each owner's creation. Doubtless you have heard of a few; and I'll tell you right now, most are forbidden. There are still pages left, and there always will be, as it's enchanted to create a new, blank page every time it becomes full. It's a common spell, so you need not be impressed with it. The things that will really impress you are the ones written inside. Most are deadly, and shouldn't be dabbled with until you've completely mastered up to level ninety Magic, do you understand?"

I nodded, "Yes, sir."

A smile broke his serious atmosphere, and he too nodded as he cast his empty soup can into the fire. "Let's go, then. The Thirteen Squads needs to know of its newest Lieutenant, don't you think?"

* * *

"Hey, Gingry, it's not true, is it?" A Captain asked just as the Fifth Squad leader took his seat at the table. "That you went ahead and promoted the third seat that was going to transfer to be my lieutenant into your own?" The Captain was tan and well built, wearing a pair of black shorts and an open black button up that held the tenth squad insignia, a tiger, outlined in white upon the back. With a pair of cunning dark eyes and a sharp-toothed smile, this man had to be one of the worst Captains you could anger in all of the Thirteen Squads. It was lucky, then, that he took most everything light heartedly and with a good sense of humor, often seen when his gelled back blondish brown hair fell forward over his sharp eyes, alighting them with twinkle of good will and dash of happiness. This, too, was one of those times.

"Not at all, Gragor. Yacub is still a third seat, and will still be promoted to your lieutenant come the New Year." Gingry assured his long time friend and classmate. The two had graduated the Academy the same year, and were among one of the scariest groups of former-partners to date. Their other long-time partner took this time to speak up; the only female from their graduating class to still maintain the title of Captain to date.

"Yet you don't deny that you have a lieutenant now, Gingry." African American, with a flat nose, full lips, dark eyes and even darker hair, she could easily be called the second scariest woman in the Thirteen Squads, the only above her being the Captain Commander. As Captain of the Twelfth Squad, her katana leaned against the arm of her chair, never too far from its owner's side. Like the panther she embodied, her eyes were just as cool, calm, and collected as a prowling beast.

"Ever the observational one, Net." The avoidance of her unvoiced question and use of her shortened name would've irritated her, had she not been so accustomed to the fellow Captain's ways. Then again, there were very few people in the country who could properly pronounce her entire name, so she didn't take it to too much offense.

"Gingry, it's not who I'm thinking of, is it?" Lucas prodded, unable to keep the irritation from his own voice. Even he thought it was too soon for a promotion for the young genius: not a month had passed since she graduated!

"I assure you, Lucas, doubting her skills is an unwise mistake. She could very well take you in a match." Gingry's confidence in his very first appointed lieutenant was shocking to everyone in the room; the idea of him having a lieutenant in the first place was blasphemous- but a lieutenant that could match a Captain? Nonsense! Even if Lucas could be ranked as one of the weakest (except when angered, of course) Captains at the table. That, however, was simply due to his inexperience. He had only held the position for fifteen years now, so it was to be expected that he hadn't earned as much fame or glory as his fellows. Two others, Mindy and Martin, were also relatively new to the powerful position. Although he was the first to take it when compared to his fellow alumni, he was still considered too young by a few others around the circle. Mindy, who had graduated with Lucas, didn't seem troubled by the news at all. Gingry was quick to bring this up, "You have been quiet on the matter though, Captain Jones. I would've expected you be the first to come congratulate her.

Mindy shrugged, lazing about in her chair with little respect for the customs of the weekly meetings, "Eh, I was expecting it. And I would've dropped by, too, if it weren't for that damn third seat of yours. He's terribly protective; I'm just waiting for the New Year so he can finally get out of my way, and I can go back to hugging my daughter." Gingry sweatdropped at her nonchalant attitude about it all but said nothing more on the subject of her interference. After all, he had already, on several occasions quite actually, told her that she was too young to have children, adopted or otherwise. But then his third seat had started to call Vallery his daughter, and the poor Captain saw no choice but to drop the subject. If they wanted to build an artificial family, it was fine by him. So long as they didn't include him in the mess, that is.

"'Sat the girl who came by to drop off those search requests? Seemed sweet, sure she's up for the task?" Thirteenth Squad held the duties of news and communication throughout the Country, and they took their job very seriously, treating every search request with the utmost importance. Who they didn't take seriously was their Captain, Thomas, who was known for his obsession with everything current in the Human World. His newest favorite thing was rap music, as seen by his horridly dirty shirt and sagging, ripped pants, which he claimed was all the rage in the heavily populated city areas of the human world, no matter how it made his fellow Reapers cringe. Among the Captains who had adapted to the Hispanic's odd habits was Gingry, who held no qualms about his equal's attire, instead supporting the newest phase with a nod and a smile.

"She did say something about that, yes. And don't fret too much, Thomas, I estimate she'll be a Captain within the decade." Martin, who with his dark hair, pale skin, and hazel eyes seemed taken slightly aback by this statement, didn't seemed to put so much stock in any person's abilities.

"You've either lost your mind, Gingry, or I need to put this girl through a few tests. Nobody has ever risen to Captain that quickly, not even you." As head of the Scientific Research, The Captain of Ninth Squad was equally intrigued and miffed. It had taken him thirteen years as a lieutenant for his predecessor to finally keel over from a mistake he made in the lab. As much as it saddened him to see his long-time Captain go, he was much more concerned about the cells of the destructive beast that forced his predecessor to depart, as they were chemically enhanced with a poisonous, radioactive substance that somehow reversed it's natural effects and created a healing agent excreted through the monster's teeth. He had figured it out within a month, however, and was held to be one of the greatest minds of research in the present day. To think another child genius (as he himself was once) could rise to Captain quicker than him, or even Lucas (who held the score at eleven years), was utterly ludicrous.

"You'd have to take that matter up with her, Martin, as I don't quite think she'd appreciate me signing her up for one of your… experiments." Gingry worded himself wisely, knowing the fellow Captain's short fuse when it came to matters of pride. Martin was far from a people person, and the only time anyone could get him out of his laboratory was for the Captain meetings, which he tended to skip once a month. This, when combined with his temper, often made others walk on eggshells around him. Although Gingry would not go so far to say he was one of those people, he did take care not to push is equal too much. Martin just grunted, leaning back into his chair as he resigned himself from the conversation.

"Salute." Once more the conversation ended as the Captain Commander walked into the room, hobbling along at her own pace to her chair, where she waited to take her seat, preferring to stand in front of her chair while taking a glance at all the present Captain who stood at attention. Seeing one missing, she immediately put the pieces together. Although she knew to not hope otherwise, affirmation of the Seventh Squad's Captain still had to be made. "Where is the Captain of the Seventh Squad?"

The question was given to any who knew the answer, and it seemed Lucas was the only one who did, "On sick leave, ma'am." Silence re-engulfed the room. Everyone knew of the Seventh Squad's curse; nobody needed to bring it up. The fact that this was the second week in a row that the Captain was missing went unsaid, and mentally, each Reaper calculated just how long it would take for the space to go vacant once more, and a new fool would stand up and claim the title. It had been that way for over a century, and it would continue to be that way until a true Captain could stand up and lead it's squad back to the glory it once held.

"Very well." The Captain Commander spoke at a length, easing herself into her chair and scooting it forward to the table. "At ease. Meeting in order."

* * *

"Miss Vallery Wilkenson!" An attitudal voice called out across the Academy courtyard, causing me to pause. The voice belonged to just the person I was looking for, I noticed with a smiled as I turned to face the figure who jogged up to meet me. Mel, with her long brown hair tied up in her usual messy bun, with her green eyes ablaze, paused before me with her hands on her hips, "Where have you been missy! I expect a visit every week, you know!"

I laughed lightly; glad it was the same old Mel as ever, "Sorry, I've just been extremely busy lately. You know how it is." A smile cracked her face as she, too laughed.

"Yeah, yeah, excuses excuses!" I couldn't help but share her grin, and with it came a hug as she wrapped her arms around me shortly, pulling me into the friendly embrace. It had been a good three weeks since I had last seen her, so I enjoyed the moment before we simultaneously pulled away. "Now, walk with me to Kendo. We have seriously got to catch up, Miss Reaper!"

Her light teasing started as we began to walk across the courtyard, and I happily obliged her request. In fact, I was so excited to see her, I couldn't really keep the news to myself much longer, "You know, it's not Miss Reaper anymore."

"What, giving up already?" She teased, resulting in me lightly pushing her leg. I held my nose in the air and straightened my back, mock pride making me beam up at the sky.

"It's Miss Lieutenant Reaper, if you must know."

Her jaw dropped, to say the least. "L-lieutenant! Oh my God Vallery, that's great!" She tackled me into another hug, squeezing my tightly as I laughed at her enthusiasm. "Gyah! I'm so jealous! You have to tell me everything! Hell, it took Lucas three years to become a Lieutenant! It didn't take you three weeks!" She put me down on the ground, and for once, I was thankful to Mindy for her hugs, as I wasn't dizzy at all from the loss of air that would've made me feint three months ago. "Tell me everything!"

I laughed again, nodding, and began with the story.

* * *

"Excuse me, is this the Lieutenant's meeting room?" I asked as I peeked my head in the door, spotting the three occupants. One of them I recognized as Trevan, Lucas's Lieutenant, so I was pretty positive I was at the right place; but then again, it was always polite to ask first.

"Ah! Vallery! I had heard you were the newest addition from my Captain, but I wasn't sure. Yes, yes, this is the right place. Come in, have a seat." Trevan urged, a smile making it's way onto his square face as he motioned to a chair at the rectangular table he and the two others sat at. The room itself was white, with a flat screen TV hanging from the back wall. Around the table twelve chairs were situated, five on each side of the dark wood, and one at each end. I ignored the stares the two other occupants were giving me as I entered. As I did so, he continued, "Oh, and by the way, those perennials you helped me plant are starting to sprout already! It's quite pretty.

Despite his size and three hundred pounds of sheer, tanned muscle mass, Trevan was a softy through and through. Hearing him gush about the little sproutlings brought a smile to my face as I scooted the chair in closer to the table. "Really? I'll have to come by and see them sometime. Is it true that when you talk to plants they grow faster?"

"It sure is! You'll have to drop by for a conversation every now and then.

I laughed lightly at the thought of talking to plants, it'd probably make me look crazy, "That I do."

"Hey, hey, hey, hey, hey now! Who's the kid and why're you making small talk so easy?" One of the two others in the room interfered, waving his hands in the air for emphasis. He sat two chairs down from Trevan, who I sat across from. His skin tone was pinkish, and with orange hair and a pair of droopy blue eyes, it was a wonder this guy had any energy at all, given how tired he looked.

"Ah! Sorry!" I apologized, realizing I should've introduced myself earlier, "My name is Vallery Wilkenson, the new Fourth Squad Lieutenant. Pleasure to meet you…" As I faded off for his name, it became apparent that I wasn't going to get it. His face twisted up in confusion, looking something like a pig with his heavier set body and rather unmuscled cheeks.

"I ain't hearin' you right, am I? The fourth squad doesn't have a lieutenant-"

"That's why she said new, Barty." The other mystery occupant interrupted his fellow's talk, cutting him off in a deep, authoritative voice. Bored, but nonetheless cunning eyes went right to me after his statement, a light gray in color. His features were half Asian, judging from the straightened dark hair cropped atop his head and his almond shaped eyes. He was lean, and a katana rested against the arm of his chair, proclaiming him to be a twelfth squad member (they never went anywhere without their swords, unlike the swordsmen members of other squads). "My name is Drake Andrews, and like Trevan, my Captain told me we'd have a new fellow. You must be strong if Gingry thinks you're worthy enough of the position."

Andrews…? As in Mr. Mark's last name? He did look something like him. I shrugged, smile fading, "I suppose. You said Andrews, correct?" He nodded. "Then, are you Mr. Mark's kin?"

Grey eyes flashed in shock before fading back to their normal state, "His son. Do you know him?"

That brought a smile to my face as I nodded, fond memories of one of my favorite teachers resurfacing to my mind's front. "Yes, he taught me much of what I know. I guess I can assume that you are of the twelfth squad, and can speak Japanese?"

"I am, and I do." His tone was curious, though slight tinges of irritation laced it as I correctly guess his traits. Mouth twitching slightly, his next words were in Japanese, "My father told me that a good student of his had just graduated, and that I should see her if I wished to spar someone outside of my division, because we share the same language. Are you her?"

"Hai!" I answered positively to his question. Scratching the back of my head, I couldn't help but smile at the idea of sparring someone using Gentle Flower. It had been awhile since I had released her for something outside of training, and I almost feared she'd start to get rusty if I didn't find a partner soon. A small smile tugged on his own face as I continued, "I would love to spar sometime! Gentle Flower has been getting antsy; it's not easy finding a weapon based sparring partner inside a Magic-focused Squad."

He chuckled lightly, "I would imagine so. Come by sometime, and I'd be happy to keep your skills sharp."

"Enough already with the creep talk! English, please!" Barty interrupted, rather rudely I might add. "Besides," He shoved a finger at me, the uncouth action taking me aback, "you're new here, remember! And a kid, too! Keep you're head down more! Don't you know that the nail that sticks up is the quickest to be hammered?"

At that precise moment, I decided something: I didn't like him. Not one bit. He was rude, horribly loud, and both of these judgments allowed me the confidence to deem him ignorant, too. Nevertheless, I tried to be civil. An eye for an eye leaves the whole world blind, quoting Ghandi. Before I could explain to him the individuality and uniqueness was a good thing, my cheek was pinched and pulled, making me wince from the sudden pain.

"Eh? A kid? What's a kid doin' in here?" The drowsy voice came from the person pulling my cheek, and out of self-defense, I yanked my head away. Whoever this lieutenant was didn't give up, though, and even as I rubbed my cheek, numerous pokes were made in my ribcage. He, the offender who kept at poking me, had curly blue hair (no doubt from his Second Soul), with a pair of large and tired ocean blue eyes. Another person, who was obviously the twin of the lieutenant poking me, came up behind his brother and began prodding me as well. I shrank away from their combined creepiness, more than a bit discouraged at their awful behavior.

"She's a cute kid, too. Bet'cha got lost somewhere, didn't 'cha, kid?" The twin of the original asked, beginning to poke my hand, which still covered my cheek.

"Lit, Let, leave her alone. She's Gingry's new lieutenant; stop treating her like a zoo animal." It was none other than Trent, Mindy's lieutenant (he had showed up numerous times at our Barracks looking for his Captain, who had a habit of running from her paperwork). Wrapped head to toe in the uniform of the spy division with just his black eyes peering out of the single slit in his face wrap, his command seemed to be more than enough for the twins, as with two blinks of their weary eyes, they nodded and backed away.

"Okay…" They said in unison, separating from each other and going to sit at the two separate ends of the rectangular table. As they did so, Trent crossed the room in quick, controlled stride until he got around the table, where he took a seat by Trevan.

"Thank you, Trent." I offered, nodding to my fellow lieutenant who had so kindly taken care of the oddballs for me.

"Don't thank me, it was my Captain who threatened me to watch over you from the more… special members of our rank." He closed his eyes and leaned back into his chair, making me sweatdrop. Leave it to Mindy…

"Hey! Heard we had a new girl!" The door slammed into the wall as the thick southern bell voice echoed into the room, causing all eyes to go to her. "Well, where's she?" With long, straight, dirty blond hair, a black Stetson and black cowgirl boots, black jean short shorts and a black button up top that was knotted in the middle of her chest to reveal her entire stomach and the edges of her lacy black bra, she wore the most stereotypical southern play on the uniform I had ever seen. And that was saying something, because just last week our squad had 'dress like a hick' day, and some people decided to get extremely creative. True blue eyes flashed to me as I leaned around my seat to get a look at her, and when they caught sight of me, they widened as her jaw dropped. "Well I'll be damned! Ain'chu just the cutest thing I've seen in awhile!" Her exclamation made my lip twitch (I mean honestly, could they stop acting like I was four years old?), but another voice stopped her from causing too much of a racket.

"If you would go inside please, Ashley, I could enter as well." The voice was feminine, polite, and softer than any I had ever heard. Like a bell when compared to the harshness of all the male occupants in the room, and even the thickly accented tone of the other girl's voice box couldn't compare to the uniqueness of the light pitches.

"Huh? Yeah, sure." The Ashley-slash-cowgirl nodded to the smaller figure over her shoulder, moving out of the fellow female's way and going to sit on the other side of Trevan. This allowed a small girl, maybe a head taller than me, with pale skin and spearmint green hair to slowly proceed in. She spared me a glance through warm brown eyes, adding a smile before she went and sat at the side of the table's head, across from Barty.

"All I'm saying, Markus, is that the information gathered from the experiments is far more important than any morals we impose upon them." Another female's voice came from the hall outside, talking to the man who entered the door just before her. It was none other than the Reaper lieutenant of Seventh Squad, whose warm eyes looked beyond any explanation of tired as he walked in the room, hands in his pockets.

"That does not mean you should treat human test subjects like animals, Mary." He stated his point as he entered the room, eyes catching mine immediately. A bit of welcoming energy entered them as he came to take the seat on my left, pulling it out while offering me a smile. "I wasn't expecting to see you here so soon, Vallery."

"I wasn't expecting to be promoted so soon." I offered, making his smile grow in the slightest. The second to last lieutenant to arrive looked slightly miffed as she came in, with black hair pulled into a strict bun and white eyes (it took me a second to register the fact that she had something other than an iris, but the whites faded to gray at the very end to give the definition of the actual cones), she wore a gray lab coat over her uniform, allowing me to immediately peg her as the lieutenant of the ninth division.

"We are animals, Martin. Sacrifices must be made for the results we wish to achieve." This Mary girl came in, and went to take the seat on my right, cocking her head when she spotted me. "The genius lieutenant of the fourth squad, yes?"

"Just Vallery, please." I said with a small smile, hoping to end that conversation before it was started. I did not need another group of people proclaiming me a genius- it was annoying enough as is.

"Mm-hm. Your Captain said in their meeting yesterday that you were at Captain level, would you like to come in for some tests to prove that statement?" Her offer, as seemingly selfless as it was, was so blatant I immediately saw through the act. Her lies were easier to catch than Tif's.

"No, thank you. I have no need to do so."

Her eyes narrowed at my polite refusal, "You have no need to prove your Captains confidence?"

If she was questioning my loyalty, I wouldn't have it. If she continued to so rudely talk to me like a test subject when I was her equal, then I would be forced to respond in kind. Giving her a small smile to convey my hopes that she'll change her behavior, I cocked my head to the side as I answered. "If becoming the first lieutenant my Captain has ever chosen doesn't prove his confidence in me, I don't think a test will fair much better."

"What's that smell?" The southern girl, Ashley, asked as sniffed the air, interrupting our conversation. "Smells like you just got burned!" A small frown twitched onto the scientist's lips as she disregarded her fellow's words.

"If you change your mind, then, I'll be happy to oblige." She couldn't hide the sourness dripping from her tone, so I shrugged, deciding that ignoring her would be the best way to prevent the poisonous bad mood from spreading to me.

"Alright! Meeting in order!" A man called as he stepped into the room. With African American traits upon his dark skin, and his hair corn-rolled, he shut the door behind him as he entered, holding a pile of folders under his arm. "First round of business- new girl!" He shoved a thumb at me as he crossed behind my chair, heading to the front end of the table. "Treat her nicely." Once there, he lifted the back of the chair, causing the twin who had started to drowse off inside of it to topple to the ground. Cursing, he got up and shot a glare at the lieutenant, rubbing the back of his head as he walked around the table and took the last empty seat, by to the right of his brother, who patted his hand affectionately when the bluenette took to his chair in a slumped position. The last lieutenant standing tossed the pile of manilla folders onto the table, and Barty grabbed them up, taking one and beginning to pass them around the table. "Round two- the actual business."

* * *

**Enter the bulk of the minor character semi-important to this story. ;D There will be side-plots, snippets, and even a fight or two with these people, but don't worry, and please don't get attached.**

**...Just trust me with that last part. ;P**

**Oh noes! No plot give aways! My bad, folks ;P Won't happen again. Nor will this haitus that is now done and over with. You have my word on it. NEVER will I take SO LONG to update again. Cross my heart and hope to die. Not being able to update caused me severe depression, you know. I was contemplating giving up everything altogether. But I'm glad I didn't :] Because now I have you again!**

**HUGE, MEGA-THANKS to my reviewers, who gave me the spirit to continue writing even when I couldn't update: Whitetree-Nimloth, cassis (You're from france? Need I say how EPIC that is?), nakimina, and bleach-otaku :] Really, I don't think i can describe how awesome you guys are. I'm wordless. Speechless. And for a writer, that's sayin' a LOT.**

**See you guys next week (or sooner!)! And I mean it this time!**


	16. Adapting! A Lieutenant is Tough Work!

**Updates have been scheduled for Mondays! Here's another double chapter- one of the last, I'll have you know ;P I can't keep turning these out forever. When the plot hits, you'll be getting one chapter an update. So enjoy until then! I don't own Bleach!**

* * *

"Interruption!" The twins stated in sync, raising their hands like little kids just as the folders passed to me. I took one and passed it to Mary, who passed the last two off.

"What is it?" The lieutenant at the front sighed, hands on his hips as he watched the pair.

"We find that the subject of the new girl-" Started one, to be finished by the other:

"-needs to be delved into deeper."

"Like introductions." The stated together, before the one who had spoke individually last started again:

"She could be a stark,"

"Raving mad psychopath,"

"And we'd never know it!" The absurdity of the statement seemed lost to everybody but Markus, Trevan, Trent, Drake, and myself. This was quickly leading me to believe myself to be the only sane female lieutenant.

"Point taken." Said the lieutenant at the front, causing me to sweatdrop. His eyes went to me: "Name, Squad, and sanity level."

I blinked, taken aback by the fact that he was serious. "U-um, Vallery Wilkenson, Squad Four, and sane."

He nodded, "I'm Devon, Squad One. Barty, you go."

"Barty, Squad Two."

"You know me." Trevan said with a smile, and I nodded to him.

"And me." Trent agreed, raising two fingers in mock salute.

"Ashley, Squad Six." Said the Southern girl, tipping her Stetson to me.

"Markus Allens, Squad Seven, as you know." Markus said, giving me a small smile. I sent him an appreciative one back.

"I'm Lit, Squad Eight." Said the twin that sat at the other end of the table; his brother then went out of turn to tell his name.

"And I'm Let, Squad Eleven."

"We're brothers." They said, identically shoving a thumb at each other.

"Mentally ill brothers, they mean. I'm Mary, Squad Nine." Said the girl to my right, white eyes flashing to me before staring to Drake.

"We've already introduced ourselves, but I'll say it again. Drake Andrews, Squad Twelve. Pleasure to meet you." The last part he spoke in Japanese, as it was only proper to politely say it when meeting someone new.

"Pleasure to meet you." I spoke back nodding at him with a smile; one that he returned.

"You speak Japanese as well, I see." Said the last lieutenant, the soft-spoken girl whose name I hadn't gathered previously. A small smile doted upon her face, making her seem a bit less fragile than she looked, "I'm Mint, Thirteenth Squad. It's nice to see a new face around here."

"More like gibberish." Barty muttered under his breath, making numerous people at the table frown, myself included. Before anyone could criticize his narrow-minded beliefs, however, Devon interrupted, picking up his folder and waving it in the air.

"Enough of this, enough! Time to get to actual business! The only thing we have to discuss today is a request from the Academy, alumni business and all." He took a seat in his chair, kicking his feet up on the table and reclining in his chair. A few others shifted their positions to get more comfortable, but I followed suit as everybody opened up the manilla folders, finding a picture of the Academy paper clipped to the corner of a small stack of stat sheets. "Alright, so here's the issue: a lot of teachers are getting old and retiring, and this is causing trouble for the student body, who needs new people to step in and provide the school with classes and after school activities, since without the geezers there's nobody to teach 'em nothing. The Board thinks that as significantly successful alumni, we're the best role models for the students, and they're willing to pay for us, at the start of the semester, to come in once a week and teach an optional course. We'll be paid per lesson we give, with added money for each student that attends. If we come once a week every week for the semester, they'll give us a bonus. Since not everybody can teach on Friday or Saturday, they're implementing a new program next semester that allows the students to miss two classes a week so long as they're attending one of our programs. Things that will either soon need teachers or are important to the student body are things like swimming-"

"Call it." Let stated, not minding if he interrupted Devon or not. Devon seemed used to it, however, and didn't react much. Though it wasn't surprising that the Eleventh Squad lieutenant wanted that sport- the eleventh squad was known for their water-adapted members (Bradley had decided to join Eleventh Squad, on that note).

"-theories of the universe,-"

"Mine." Mary claimed. What? Was this a habit here? Devon went on as if nobody had said anything.

"-foreign languages and cultures,-"

"On it." "Got it." And "I can." Were said in sync by Ashley, Drake, and Mint, respectively. His blatant ignoring of the three went unnoticed by all but me.

"and other odd end classes. Things that will boost the student body's confidence and/or skills, i.e. a booster club or assistant to one of the teachers who instruct the requirements for graduation, are also options. The class can be personalized to the students or teacher's needs. We should all be getting requests in the mail tomorrow, and will go to the staff meeting in two weeks to submit our optional classes." He paused, glancing up from the table to look at the rest of his equals, "Do remember that this entire mess is optional, just a chance to earn more money. Go if you want, but if you don't need or want any extra cash then don't waste the Academy's time, especially if you make a class and put it into the schedule, then don't show up. That's just rude, so don't do it if you don't mean it." He pursed his lips, sighed, and flipped through the pages one last time. "I miss anything?" When nobody responded, he nodded to himself. "Then, anybody got anything to say before we dismiss?" Again, nobody spoke. The meeting had gone from rather lively to slightly boring within minutes. Then again, perhaps everyone was already thinking about whether or not they were going to teach, and if they were, what the subject of their class was.

"Alright then… dismissed." Chairs racked against the floors as the lieutenants started to leave. As I was standing up, however, somebody stopped me.

"Would you like to come talk to the sproutlings with me now, Vallery?" Trevan asked, pushing the papers back into his folder and tucking it under his arm.

"I would be happy too." I said with a smile as I pushed my chair back under the table.

"Wait a minute, Vallery. Do you want to teach Japanese, or should I?" Drake asked as he waited by the end of the table for my answer.

"You can, if you want. I was thinking I should play to my strengths, maybe help out Sir, or teach Feathering, instead." He nodded, but another person brought up another statement made to me.

"Feathering? Isn't that more of Trent's deal?" Devon asked as he pushed his chair in, sliding his folder off the table and into his hands.

"No, I'm going to assist the teachers in hand-to-hand combat. I would be an inadequate teacher of Feathering when compared to Vallery." I pursed my lips at his too-complimentary statement.

"Don't say that, Trent. I'm sure you'd do just fine."

"Just fine, yes. But not as good as you. You got the misfit Trutage boy to learn to Feather in two weeks, and he's never made his family prouder." At my still hesitant look, he continued with a shrug, "Besides, anyone who can outrun my Captain is more suited for the task than myself."

"Now hold on jus' a minute! You can outrun the Captain of the Stealth Squad?" Ashley asked, having not moved from her seat. She seemed fine and dandy just sitting there all day long, black boots propped up on the hardwood surface. I sweatdropped at her shock- it wasn't easy, but yes, I could.

"I have too. Her hugs are lethal, you know." The confusion was evident on her face, but she didn't get the time to question as Trevan motioned to the door, tilted his head to allow me to go first, like any gentleman would.

"Speaking of which, what are you going to do when Yacub becomes a lieutenant as well? He can't protect you forever."

I sighed, not wanting to think about the depressing days to come; without Yacub, I would have even more paperwork to do, at least until Tate gets the hang of it, and that would take awhile, knowing him. "Hopefully by then I'll have learned some form of invisibility spell." I half joked, causing Trevan to laugh lightly.

"Hopefully!"

* * *

"Isn't this a bit… unnecessary?" I asked as the nineteenth and twentieth seated members strained to get the desk inside the double doors, faces red and twisted after having to carry it up a flight of stairs, and then a good number of twists and turns before reaching Yacub's office. Well, my office. Although Yacub had been using it for the past four years, and the third seat before him and so on and so forth, since there was never a lieutenant to fill the space, it was naturally given to the next highest seated officer. The desk being moved in was to be mine until Yacub was promoted, and then I'd take over his and give this one to Tate. Originally, the Lieutenant's room (which Yacub also occupied) and the desk were going to be cleared out immediately; but after seeing the large number of furnishings my now subordinate had on both the desk and in the room, I had decided it would be best just to let him keep both until the New Year. It wasn't like I had anything to furnish either with, so I wasn't particularly pushy. Not to mention, I had never had my own room before, and the thought of it scared me (just a bit, not enough for me to tell anybody else or think I couldn't get over it). Adapting to the title 'Lieutenant' instead of my name was still taking hard work, after all. But still, having a brand new desk moved in just for me? And it was temporary, at that. As a third seat, Tate would inherit the desk in the seated officer's barracks, and thus, little would the need be for the one in here, too.

"Not in the least! We need to get you adapted to actually using a desk before I go!" Yacub chirped, his bright and happy attitude still unnerving me in the slightest. He was happy, though, and I didn't want to ruin it, so I just shrugged.

"Ugh!" The twentieth seat cried as he nearly fumbled the desk. I lurched forward; stopping only a foot away as I realized that he had caught it. Taking a step back from the two as they continued to bring it in, I took a deep breath. What was I getting so worked up for? It was just a desk. Even if just looking at it made my general good mood dissipate a bit (that hard wooden surface appeared more like a jail cell to me), my squad members worked hard in bringing it all the way up here, so I had to be grateful.

"Lieutenant Vallery!" The voice of one of our unseated members floated down the hall as pounding feet thudded across the wooden flooring.

"Yes?" I called; reminding myself again that 'Lieutenant' was just as much my name now as 'Wilkenson'. Stepping past the seated members (who grunted as they began to lower the desk in place near the right wall of the room, facing the center) I met the unseated member, whose name I could recall to be Marie, at the double glass doors, peeking my head out as she paused just at the entrance to salute. "What do you need?"

"The First Division Lieutenant is here to see you, ma'am!" She answered robotically, staring into the space above my head. Pursing my lips, I nodded to the girl, who was obviously uncomfortable with being so formal. I couldn't blame her; I was too.

"Thank you, Marie. If it makes you more comfortable, please feel free to skip the saluting next time you approach me for something. I'm still not used to being called Lieutenant, the whole saluting thing is a bit over the top for me." She visibly relaxed; melting back into a more comfortable posture as her hand dropped from her head and a smile broke across her face.

"Thank you, Lieutenant Vallery."

I gave her a relatable smile; "It can still be Lieutenant Val, too, please. Now, where is he waiting?"

"The Barrack gates, ma'am." She seemed even more at ease as she answered my question, relieved that I could still be 'Val', even if you had to add a title now.

"Then I shouldn't keep him waiting." I said to her before turning around and looking back into the room at the two seated members, "Thank you both for your hard work!" They groaned in response as they leaned against the wall, and I took one last glance at Yacub (who was sitting at his desk scribbling away) before Feathering away to the Barrack Gates.

* * *

"I heard you needed me, Devon?" I asked as I appeared in the middle of our courtyard, walking the rest of the way to the Lieutenant, who held another manilla folder tucked under his arm. I had to remind myself not to call him by his title, as he was my equal now, and no longer a superior in rank.

"Yeah." He affirmed as he leaned off the side of the archway, eyes locked on mine as he untucked the folder and held it out to me. "Yacub's been the closest thing to a Lieutenant for years now, and since he's going to be promoted come January, I figured he might as well get started on the Lieutenant business, as well. I made an additional copy of the information I gave you yesterday for him; and got permission for him to attend the staff meeting in two weeks with us. If you'll explain all the details to him and give him this, I'd appreciate it."

"Sure, no problem." I said as I took the folder from him. He blinked, somewhat taken aback with something I had done.

"That's it? No problem?" He asked, eyebrows furrowed. I hesitated, my own closing together as I slowly started to nod.

"What? Did you want something else?"

"Ah- no! It's just…" He stopped and sighed, shoving his crossed arms into his pockets, "It's not everyday you meet a new Lieutenant that's so willing to treat a subordinate like an equal. Odd, you know. Usually possessive of their title for the first year or so." I shrugged, not really seeing the big deal. Yacub already was my equal, in a way. We were just waiting for time to pass before he got the actual title.

"I'm letting him keep the room and the desk until he moves, so it's really not that shocking. Like you said, he's been like a Lieutenant for years now, taking all of that away from him just because I have a title he won't have for a few months would be awfully rude, don't you think? Especially if I were in his position."

"Yeah, it would be. Which is why I'm glad you're not doing it." He shrugged himself off the archway, "Then I should get going. Other business to attend to, you know."

"I do now." I joked, causing a small smile to part his lips. "Have a good day, Devon. See you next meeting."

"Ah," he called, turning away while his smile grew, "See you next meeting."

* * *

"Really? Sounds great. Say, Val, will you run this to the Captain for me? Urgent, you know. Just lay it on his desk if he's not in." Not only did he only half-listen to my explanation of just what was in the folder and the situation going on with it, he all but shoved a small stack of papers into my arms. "I'd call for a unseated member to do it, but you're the fastest and the closest. Please and thank you."

My lips twitched at just how fast his mindset switched, but nonetheless I straightened out the papers and Feathered to the Captain's office, knowing I'd only have to put up with it for a few more months.

* * *

"Captain?" I called as I knocked softly on the wooden doorframe, pushing open the already cracked door to peek my head in. What I saw made me do a mini-doubletake before a smile made it's way onto my face. Captain Gingry was in the room, yes, but not conscious. He laid with his back to the door and front facing the couch's back, arm tucked under one of the throw pillows and other laying in front of his body. A small sigh escaped my lips as I shook my head lightly at his chosen place of napping. He had been working hard lately, or at least, harder than I'd seen before, so he deserved the midday nap. No doubt he'd been losing sleep over the numerous piles of paperwork and other miscellaneous things on his desk. As quietly as I could I eased the door open and tip toed inside, trying to be as quiet as possible so not to wake him. When I entered, though, it was hard not to shiver- the air was so cold as to give me goosebumps (thankfully, they weren't visible, as the strictness of a Lieutenant's and Captain's uniform went completely unchecked, and I was allowed to wear a long-sleeved black button-up in place of the skin tight turtleneck). Pushing through the cold, I eased the paper onto the middle of his messy desk, picking up a spare paperweight and placing it atop the paper to mark its importance. Figuring I had better do something about the cold, too, but seeing no thermostat, I settled for easing myself out of the room and quietly shutting the door behind me before Feathering off to the break room. I entered, spying nobody on the couch before speed walking over to the left arm of the blue sofa, where a throw blanket lay folded for temporary use. Quickly I picked it up and Feathered back to my Captain's office, where I once more eased myself in and stealthily made my way around his furniture and to his side. Unfurling the blanket, I draped it over him in a single motion, figuring this way he wouldn't be completely frozen when he awoke. After doing so, I paused for a second as he shifted, barely noticing the adding weight, but habitually tucking his body under it and tugging it around his neck. I couldn't help the light laugh at how the broad-shouldered, scariest man in America nestled himself under the blanket, looking almost serene in his sleep. Smiling once more, I left the room and shut the door behind me, content with my job's perks.

* * *

"I wasn't expecting to see you here so soon. Anxious now, are we?" Drake teased in Japanese as he approached with a small smile and his arms folded over his chest. I laughed lightly, scratching the back of my head.

"Sorry, Drake. I can't help but feel antsy after thinking about how long it's been since I've had a serious spar with my Second Soul."

"I'm not surprised, yours is the Magic Squad. If you follow me, I'll show you to one of the training areas we have. Is outside alright with you?"

"Perfect! It feels like I've been locked behind a desk for ages."

He laughed, "Welcome to what it means to be a Lieutenant."

* * *

"BAAAAAAB-" Mindy's shout of joy as she saw me crossing in front of her Barrack's ended as soon as Yacub stepped in front of her well-aimed hug of death. Her eye twitched as she visibly deflated, glaring at Yacub with all the might she could muster in her pale green eyes: "Oh. It's you."

"How many times, Captain Jones, must I ask you to not maul my daughter in my presence?" Yacub asked, folding his arms over his chest as he glared down at her past his shining glasses.

Mindy sneered, "How many times do I have to tell you that she's mine?"

"Oh please, she's a human being, not an object. Besides, it's obvious I'm a much better Dad than you are Mom, so therefore, she is mine."

"No way!" She gasped; offended he'd go there. "I found her first!"

"I see her more often."

"Not for long."

"I will always be there to protect her from your painful clutches, Captain Jones."

"We'll see about that." She sent one last hateful glare to him before leaning over, giving me the brightest smile she had as her mood completely shifted. "Just wait a tiny bit longer, okay Baby? Mommy will be with you as soon as this mean man goes away." I sweatdropped as Yacub openly snorted, placing a hand on my shoulder and steering me away.

"Let's go, my child. We have no need to associate with these lunatics."

Mindy, apparently, was not daunted by the insult, instead preferring to wave her arm in the air with dramatic goodbye tears streaming down her face, "Farewell, my daughter! My heart goes with you! Do not worry- your mother shall always love you, no matter what that cruel bastard says!"

His hand clenched tighter on my shoulder from the well-placed insult, and with a pulsing vein and gritted teeth, I was pushed along at an even higher speed to the gate of Soul City as we headed towards the Academy for the staff meeting.

* * *

"Oh, Vallery! Made it to Lieutenant already, have you?" Mr. Law asked as he approached me from the auditorium doors, hands in his pockets and trademark grin on his face. "Good to see you! What'tya going to teach?"

"Good to see you too, sir!" I greeted with a smile as I looked away from the small group Drake, Markus, Trent, Trevan, Yacub and I formed. "I was thinking Feathering, it being a criteria a lot of the Squads are looking for in recruits and all nowadays."

"Really? I'd think you'd be sick of it all after how many tutoring lessons you gave your second year. Barely had time to learn anything yourself." I laughed lightly before he continued, "But then again, everything's different when you add in an hourly wage. Hope you don't plan on stealing too many of my students, now. They need to learn the actual requirements first."

"Which is precisely the issue with this entire thing." Mr. Mark's voice drifted over the crowd as he approached, taking a look to Drake, who nodded to his father before returning his eyes to Mr. Law. "As grateful as we all are for having alumni come back and re-interest the students, it's taking away from their basic training. Overall, this could very well end up having a negative effect on the student's graduation scores."

"Eh." Mr. Law shrugged it off, not seeing the problem being too big, "that's why they're testing it out for just a semester, first. If all's well at the end of the year, the optional classes could very well be offered year-round come summer."

"The program is going to give students a broader education. This could very well open many doors in their future." Yacub offered, speaking to Mr. Mark through his glinting glasses (how they managed to reflect was beyond me- as the room was dim and the only source of light came from the stage). Speaking of the stage, a man was standing upon its wooden surface, tapping a microphone repeatedly. Everyone winced as the squeal of the speakers cut through the air, and his pounding could now be heard throughout the entire room.

"Test, test- testing." He spoke, catching everyone's attention even the people who had dismissed the ear-piercing noise with a single annoyed look. "One two, one two. Alright!" He seemed to gain his confidence as he looked around the room, starting to make hand motions to the large number of comfortable seats.

"Can everyone make their way to the frontward seats, please? Save for the very first row, that's reserved for the Lieutenants in attendance. Come, come one, let's get this party started."

With one last smile at Mr. Law and a small bow to Mr. Mark, I followed the rest of the Lieutenants (plus Yacub) to the very front of the auditorium as the staff meeting soon began.

* * *

"Um… Trevan?" I called out to the man who sat in front of the perennials, talking to them under his breath in harsh whispers. He paused, leaned away from the just- budding sprouts as he called back to me, still facing his flowers.

"Vallery! Welcome back! Look at them, aren't they getting so big! Oh- never mind that, how was your first mission as a Leader? You should come tell me and the sprouts all about it!"

I laughed lightly, trying to stay calm as I clenched my shoulder to stop the blood from flowing out of the re-opened wound. I had taken a blow for my subordinate, bandaged it up, and then ran from Mindy for a good ten minutes before the pain started to get so bad I was forced to head to the Third Squad Barracks. "Yeah, about that. Are you free right now? I could use a bit of assistance."

Curious, he peeked over his shoulder. The small smile he had dropped into a loose hanging jaw as his eyebrows shot up. Within the millisecond he was before me, bending over and placing one hand on my bicep to still me while prying my hand off my shoulder with the other. Honestly, I don't know what people's obsession is with cutting my left shoulder, but apparently it's popular enough to add a second scar across my collarbone, this one at the end. "Dear God, Vallery! How did this happen?"

While he spoke he managed to get my hand off my shoulder and start peeling away the bandages, pushing them up my neck and down my arm so that he could get a better look at the wound. Forcing a small smile, I attempted another laugh, but it sounded horrendously pathetic, so I let it quickly fade off. "A sneak attack on a subordinate. You know how those hollows can be, always picking off the weakest."

"And you stepped in for the blow." He tsked lightly, laying a palm on my wound as his hand began to glow a pale, luminescent green. "That's what they're there for, you know. To learn to get stronger through their own mistakes."

"If mistakes like that happen too often, I'll be out of a job. A lieutenant with no Squad is no Lieutenant at all." He just sent me a 'you're right, but I am too' look, putting more pressure on my wound and cutting off what was going to be my next words into breathless choke. Quickly I gasped air in, wincing as the pain in my shoulder suddenly spiked before slowly starting to numb.

"The wound is healable, but I don't want you moving this shoulder too much for the next week, alright? No heavy lifting, and definitely no serious sparing. You can send Drake to me if he comes calling."

Seeing no other option past more pain, I just nodded, blinking back the tears from my eyes.

* * *

"And so… that should be it. Remember to water the gardens once a week, but only if it doesn't rain. Also, those apples can get pretty pesky in the spring, so be careful and keep the yard clean. I already told you about where the garbage dump is and the day it's taken on, so… yes. That should be all of it. Any questions?" Yacub asked as I stood in the Lieutenants room- my room. I would be staying in it until I earned the title of Captain, anyway. The room was more like a small apartment, actually. Yacub had good taste in paint colors, as well, so there really wasn't anything too bland or too flashy. The living room/dining room was small (off-white walls), with a set of glass sliding doors leading off to a small, private yard complete with an apple tree and fresh herb garden. The kitchen mostly consisted of the far left corner of the dining room area (the floor was wood, and a rug was laid out in the would-be living room side). I had been provided a small dining table that would seat two, along with two chairs, and the kitchen held all the appliances. To the right side of the room was a door that led to the laundry area, once more with full appliances (and two baskets donated by Yacub, who would not need them anymore). To the left wall, past the dining area and just to the left of the kitchen was another door that led to my room (which donned a rich, dark green paint); complete with a queen size bed that came with the room when Yacub got it, a desk and chair (situation the same), and two small rooms inside of it, a closet and a bathroom. All in all, Yacub had kept everything in manageable order, and even left a list of possible things I would need for it (which was just about everything minus a bed, table, desk, and appliances).

"Where can I get all the furnishings and stuff?" I asked, looking around the bare walls and cold floors. Outside a light dusting of snow coated the ground, making the room seem even chillier than it actually was.

"The District shops sell some interesting things for pretty cheap. I can show you around next week, actually, as all the New Year discounts will be going on. It's the best time of the year to be saving money." I nodded at his explanation, wondering just how I was going to fill this empty apartment all by myself. Right now all I had was a suitcase (full of books, mostly), large duffel, and my smaller traveling duffel. Adapting to this might be harder than I thought, actually. He seemed to catch my odd mood, because a hand was placed atop my head not a minute latter, and my purple hair received a pretty violent ruffle as Yacub oh-so-supportively let a streak of playfulness show through. "Don't worry, Val. The Tenth Squad may be my new home, but you're always welcome to come visit your father. Speaking of which, I set up a barrier around the house designed specifically for Mindy's energy, just in case she tries barging in."

"I saw that."

He laughed lightly, "Well, if you ever do invite her over, you know how to discharge it. I hope you make more happy memories in here than I did; Heaven knows the majority of my time was spent at the desk."

"Mm." I nodded, focusing my eyes outside to the falling snow. "I hope I do, too."

* * *

"Hey, Vallery- er, I mean, Lieutenant Val! I know you want the desk out of here, but can I keep it? It's better than the one in the barracks, so I was wondering if it wasn't much trouble for you, then maybe you could sell it to me or something?" Tate asked as he ran down the hall to meet me in front of my office.

My Office… More like my hell.

It was like being trapped inside a window-less prison with one flickering light that shined like your hope, always on the verge of fading from the reality of your pathetic existence: paperwork. Oh, wait. That was the office.

"Actually Tate, why don't you share the office with me?" I asked, hoping to the high heavens that he would say yes so I would at least have someone to talk to during the long and painful hours my butt suffered on the wooden chair.

"Huh? Why?" His confusion was to be expected- not even Yacub liked sharing an office. Having an office to yourself was a sign of power. Something about a closed in space with four suffocating walls screamed success to the rest of the society, for a reason I couldn't comprehend.

"It's horrifyingly lonely." My dramatic sigh brought a grin to his face.

"Well, if you insist! Don't say I didn't warn you though!"

* * *

Despite his warnings, Tate made the office much more tolerable. Apparently, I made it much better for him, too, as when I came back from a week-long mission with Drake and Markus about several Gillians appearing on the edges of our border, I found him in a very odd, but not entirely unexpected situation.

Depression lines swirled above his head, but he didn't complain as he sat, reading each and every paper with dark ringed eyes and a gaunt face. His skin was so drained of life and pale that when I first stepped into the room I had thought he was a Hollow with the all-black uniform ensnaring his idle limbs. It was true, the only thing that moved about him was his eyes, and those were slow with lack of energy and focus, along with the occasional twitching of his right hand as he scribbled a signature onto document after draining document. His workload had doubled when I left, no doubt trapping him in the mind-altering office for eighteen plus hours a day. I could only suffer to watch him for thirty minutes before I thought of a solution to the problem, which involved both a very odd friend, and a very old one.

"Come with me." I commanded as I grabbed him by the forearm, snapping motion pushing a tad bit of life into him.

"What?" He asked, voice barely lifting above deadline bored, "What do you need, Lieutenant?"

Oh God. He must be depressed if he was actually calling me by my title.

I didn't answer as I dragged him along, pulling him throughout the building until we broke into the sunlight filled Barracks courtyard. He winced and shielding his eyes from the sun, shrinking away from me before I gave a harsh tug on his arm.

"Come on, Val… where are we going?" He asked as I pulled him across the courtyard. More than a few of our subordinates paused to whisper to each other, giving the two of us half-respectful, half-curious salutes as we passed. Once I broke the Barracks gate, he let out a sudden yelp as I pushed into a Feather, heading directly to Eleventh Squad Barracks.

* * *

"Hey, Let!" I called to him as I spotted him in their entrance courtyard. He cocked his head and blinked, unused to seeing my presence anywhere, much less in his squad barracks. "I need to borrow your third seat for a moment, may I?"

Like Tate, Bradley had been upped to third seat at the New Year. It made each of them angry at each other, as they still held their old, competitive rivalry. They hadn't seen each other in awhile, though, no doubt from the tedious workload, so I had thought of a very easy solution. What Tate needed right now was a good old-fashioned brawl. With a still confused, but mostly curious, look on his face, Let just nodded and motioned to his back with a shoved thumb.

"He's in the training yard. Want me to show you to him?" Let questioned as I walked up to him, a still-recovering Tate being dragged behind me (he had gotten dizzy from me Feathering too fast, I think).

"If we can do so without him noticing, yes, please, it would be nice." I added a smile at the end, and his blue eyes drooped closed before he nodded, Feathering off. It didn't take three seconds for me to follow and end up standing beside him on top of a building's roof, overlooking a mud-filled fifty-by-fifty yard with a few wooden posts here or there. Apparently, Bradley not only didn't notice our coming, he was also getting pretty angry himself. Some subordinate of his wasn't doing something right after being repeatedly corrected, or something like that, and I noticed it was just the perfect opportunity for both of them.

"He's been moody lately. Snappin' at the subordinates, ya know. What'cha want with 'im? You know him?"

I nodded, dropping Tate beside me on the roof. His butt hit the ground as his back collapsed, and his head was about to fall onto the concrete before I caught him by the back of his collar. "Yes, we went to the Academy together."

"Why's your third seat here?" Let asked as I easily raised Tate into the air, leaning back onto one leg and prepping myself as best as possible. Shifting my weight, I slammed my forward foot back into the ground and leaned over, tossing a nearly unconscious Tate over my head, hurling him straight at Bradley. Apparently I was a pro baseball pitcher in another life, because Tate, too dizzy to even scream, flew through the air and crashed into Bradley, sending them both face first into the splashing mud of the eleventh squad training ground. Not waiting a second more, I put up a barrier around the two so that even their most extreme attacks wouldn't hurt the poor eleventh squad subordinates who watched in wonder as the two simultaneously picked themselves up, groaning as their heads tried to register just what happened.

"I heard Captain Kristan and Captain Tridan duke it out weekly, right?"

His brows furrowed, not seeing my point. "Yeah, to get out their energy. Why?"

"Because these two haven't had a fight in awhile, and as you can see, they both need it to keep their attitudes in check." Sure enough, it hadn't taken ten seconds for the two to come to blows, sending fist after fist and kick after kick into each other, more often than not throwing the other into my barrier. "If you don't mind, I'd like to keep them on a monthly or so fighting schedule, just so they don't start killing people with their pent-up emotions."

For the first time I'd ever seen, he smiled. It was small, lazy, and his thin lips just barely pulled back to show the very tips of his white teeth, but it was a smile nonetheless. "You should be glad Bradley's in my squad then. 'Round here we encourage rivalries. I don't think any other squad besides squad eight does the same."

I paused, taking in the sight of the twin actually showing an expression besides that of boredom or sleep-deprivation. Memorizing it, I couldn't help the smile of my own breaking across my face as I clasped my hands behind my back, looking down at my two Academy friends. "Yes, indeed I am."

* * *

"Right, so, um, many of you should, um, remember me from your classes last year. But, uh, those of you who don't, it's um, a pleasure to meet you. My name's, uh, Vallery Wilkenson, and, um, I really suck at talking to crowds." The words were at first slow and east to understand, but the last phrase rushed out of my mouth with a breath of air before I nervously swallowed. A few of my first class's students snickered. Mel was absent, having dropped by earlier to wish me luck, as she had kendo and couldn't come. It was alright, though, because I still remembered a good number of the people who attended. Like I had said, out of the thirty that had signed up (the option for the classes was only given to the current fifth years; next year, should the program continue, would be different). "I'm, um, hoping I can learn, um, as, uh, much from you guys as you learn from me. Which will be uh, Feathering. Right, Feathering. So, um, anything you guys want to uh, know before we get, um, started?"

Someone in the back of the class raised their hand (they were sitting on the field I had reserved for the class, and I was standing in front of them), and I pointed to them so they could call out their question. "How fast are we going to learn this?"

"It depends." I answered immediately at their bored tone. Apparently they were expecting much, much more. Swiping nervously at the back of my pants, I wiped the sweat off my palms. "On uh, a lot of things. Like, um, how good you are with, um, Magic and Hand to hand. And, um, how fast you learn, and um, your current speed and endurance, you know. It's, um, the first time I've, uh, taught such a um, large group, but, uh, I have tutored a lot of people, um, privately. They uh, all learned within a um, month, so, yeah. I think a month sounds, um, about right. Yeah. One month. If you're, um, faithful to your uh, practicing. Anything else? …Anybody?" At their silence, I took a deep, calming breath. Some looked amused, some angry, others bored. Either way, I'd have to get them all Feathering, or my class would be canceled. And I needed that money, even with my increased Lieutenants salary. Furnishing an apartment cost quite a lot. "Alright. So, um, get into uh, Lotus position a good yard or so away from everyone else and, um, we'll start with the basics."

* * *

After several painful explosions, many cries of frustration, plenty of wimp-outs during the mile sprint, and all-too many sprained ankles, everyone had gotten a time written down and a schedule worked out for them so that they could learn to Feather. I was quite positive ten or so wouldn't be returning, thus leaving me with only twenty dedicated students at next Friday's class, all of which showing spectacular progress in their abilities (with two students standing out the most- a Trutage kid and a track runner).

* * *

"Good job Vallery. You've almost got it." My Captain complimented as he entered the valleys of the hills. It was the weekend, and like usual, I had set out to search the districts for any sign of Tif or Maya before heading to the usual valley in the Eastern District four's rolling hills and training the more dangerous spells that would no doubt bring too much attention while inside Soul City's walls. The only difference this time was that, apparently, my Captain had followed me. And judging by the two hakama wearing Shinigami standing on the crest of the hill behind him, he wasn't alone.

I nodded to him as the sweat dripped down my face; Black Coffin was an energy killer. I almost had it though, like my Captain had said. I was halfway there, and so close I could taste the experience making me stronger. That could've been sweat though, so it might be necessary to disregard the prior statement. "Thank you, Captain. I still have to say the incantation, though, so it still can't be used in combat."

"Tut tut, Vallery." He teased, waving a finger in the air, "Only direct combat. Spells of this sort are best used in sneak attacks. Remember that next time you sneak up on a Menos."

I laughed lightly at the impossible situation, but nodded anyway. With a jerk of my head, I motioned to the two Shinigami standing on the hill's crest. The sun rose behind them, casting their entire beings into darkness as they waited, patiently, for something I didn't know about. "Who are they? Shinigami?"

"Ah, just someone I want you to meet." He turned to the hill, motioning with a wave of his hand as he shouted up to them, "Come down, Sosuke! This is her!"

I blinked, Sosuke? As in Gingry's former Lieutenant, my only predecessor, Sosuke Aizen? What was he doing here? Wasn't he a Captain now? Who was with him? None of my mental questions were answered immediately as the pair exchanged something in light Japanese too far from my hearing for me to understand. As they began to descend down the hill, however, their images become clear. Both with tan, Japanese skin, and both wearing the hakama uniform of the Soul Society's Gotei Thirteen, though the taller, broad-shouldered male (obviously Sosuke) wore a white haori over that, marking him as the Captain of his Division, or so I could assume. With kind, caring brown eyes and wavy brown hair falling gently over a handsome face and a good natured smile, the man had to be one of the most gorgeous I had ever laid my eyes on. A pair of rimmed square glasses gave him a softer look, and he walked with confined confidence as he treaded down towards my scarred training valley.

The figure behind him, much smaller than him (only a head taller than me), looked to be his lieutenant with a weird, out-of-style pentagon armband wrapped around her bicep. She too had kind brown eyes, though her were so large as to give her a doe sort of look, filled with innocence and tailored happiness as her black bangs dusted across her face from the breeze, the rest of her hair pulled back into a bun tied with cloth.

"Nice to finally meet you." He spoke with a gentle, but still accented tone as he approached, snapping me out of the daze I had become entrapped in upon seeing them. "Captain Gingry speaks very highly of you, I had to come meet you myself. Ara ara," He paused, slipping into his Japanese as he scratching the back of his head humbly, giving me an welcoming smile as he held his right hand out, "where are my manners? My name is Sosuke Aizen, Captain of the Fifth Squad in Soul Society's Gotei Thirteen. This is my Lieutenant, Momo Hinamori." He paused to motion to her after I got done shaking his hand, and she stepped forward as we exchanged the same greeting, nodding to each other. "Her English is limited I'm afraid, as we ran out of the translator shots on the way here. I heard you speak Japanese, though?"

I nodded up at him, "Hai, I am fully bilingual." She blinked when she caught my statement, and a smile broke out across her face as she looked to me, speaking in Japanese.

"That's such a relief! I was afraid they were just rumors, and I'd never get to talk to you!" The lightly excited way she said it and her small giggle afterward made my lips twitch upward as I tilted my head and laughed a bit myself.

"I'm happy I finally get to meet you myself! Captain Gingry always speaks highly of the Gotei Thirteen's Fifth Squad, so it's my honor to meet the both of you." Before either of the two of them could respond in a likewise manner, Captain Gingry caught his name and interjected.

"Not gossiping about me, I hope?" He asked, glancing between the two of us girls with a playful smile. Momo seemed to understand what he was asking, as she giggled with me at my Captain's skepticism.

"Only a bit, Captain." I teased, making him shake his head with a chuckle.

"Sosuke and Momo here are staying for the week on trade business, since there is only one spare room in the barracks, I was wondering if Momo here could stay with you?" Gingry asked, and I nodded. She seemed sweet enough, and it would be a nice break from the lonesome emptiness of the apartment (even though it was now fully furnished, it still felt vacant).

"I would be happy to." I said to him before turning to my fellow Lieutenant, "If you have no qualms with it of course, Momo-chan?"

"Not at all! I can't wait to see everything here! Can you show me around sometime, Barrery-chan?" I laughed lightly, inwardly cringing at her accented take on my name.

"Of course! While we're at it, I'll teach you how to say my name." She laughed nervously, palming the back of her head.

"I'm sorry, I don't mean to be so rude."

"Not at all." I brushed her off, "You're quite alright, really."

"I was hoping to see your skills sometime, Miss Vallery." Sosuke stepped in politely using English, sending me a smile so amazing that I'd be the most hideous creature on the earth if I didn't return, "With how highly Captain Gingry speaks of you, I think I could very well learn a lesson or two."

I shrugged with a single shoulder, "We can all learn lessons from even the most unlikely of people, or so they say. Though I doubt you'll learn as much from me as I you, I'd be happy to help in any way possible, Aizen-taicho."

His smile broadened a bit until light, musical laughter poured out of his throat, "A wise lesson, Miss Vallery. I see your Captain's trust isn't misplaced."

I looked to said Captain, sharing a smile with him before turning back to Sosuke, "Of course not, sir. That's what Lieutenant's are for."

* * *

**Woot! Enter the cannons! ;D I'm so happy. So, so happy. But I must breathe. One step at a time, one step. Plot soon to come! Yay!**

**Super-duper-giant HUGS WITH BROWNIES to the people who welcomed me back with beautiful reviews: nakimina, Firebird Falling, Dreamer's Samhain, and Revolation :] I'm so glad all of you put up with my horrible OC central. I try to make it bearable, I really do... but here! See! Aizen and Momo are signs of things to come! And I would make an "insert time gap here", but the plot! The plot! You have to know Vallery! It's just... if I don't show the plot, she's a Sue ;P I don't like my main OCs being Sues. Side OCs... fine. I'll tolerate them. But my main? Nooooo! You must understand! I do not mean to make you suffer! I sorry :'( I really, really sorry!**

**And that is it for this week! See you guys next Monday! Review please!**


	17. Double: Shinigami a Lieutenant's Duty!

**Yes, I'm sorry for the late update. No, I can't promise it won't happen again. But here's a double chapter (12,000 words!)** **to make up for _something_.**

**Disclaimer!**

* * *

"What do you want for dinner, Momo-chan?" I asked as I headed for the kitchen. After heading back to Soul City and giving her a thorough tour of the Barracks, dark was starting to close in as seven o'clock hastened forward, and we made it to my small apartment and got her settled in (I let her have the room after convincing her that it was okay, while I took the couch for the duration of her stay).

Her habitual manners were a refreshing break from Tate's frequent rudeness, but she did have a way of being too polite as she spoke: "Anything's fine, really! You don't have to cook at all if you don't want to, I still have some leftovers from our lunch stored in my bag, if you wish for me to have that-"

"Not at all!" I persuaded. Her, eating leftovers? Under my roof? That was just rude! I couldn't have it! Especially now that I had the money to provide otherwise. "It's no problem at all! I can't have a guest eating leftovers like that! Now, do you want pasta, or maybe some type of salad? Or a small salad and some steak… I've got a lot in the fridge, actually. For living alone and everything. What are you in the mood for, Momo-chan?"

She seemed to relax a bit as I scoured my fridge, coming to sit at the chair closets to the kitchen and watch me as I pushed food from side to side in my rather crowded fridge. It wasn't my fault it was crowded, either. Tate and Bradley liked to come over pretty often, and even Mol or Mel would drop by every now and then. Considering both Tate and Mel were big eaters, I stocked food for their visits. Momo's relaxation was apparent in her tone as she saw me debating on just what we should have, "If it's not too much trouble, may I ask what you have? I'm in the mood for a Japanese dish, if possible. I know it's selfish but… I'm a bit homesick, actually." I looked up from the fridge and watched as the sadness played on her expression. When she finally noticed my silence she looked up from the ground, blinking when she noticed I was staring at her. "A-ah! I'm very sorry! I don't mean to be so rude!"

"Again, not at all." I said calmly, looking back into the fridge and bending over to pull out a packet of fish and set it on the counter. I had never made a Japanese dinner, but that didn't mean I couldn't learn. Grandmother's blood was in me too, after all. If she could do it, so could I. "If you can help me cook it properly, I'm sure we can come up with some sort of Japanese dish. This is the only fish I have, though I've got rice." As I spoke I shut the fridge and stepped to the other side of the stove, opening the cabinet and bringing down a packaged bag of white rice.

"…Thank you." Her voice came softly from the table, and I looked up to see tears brimming on her eyes with a smile of happiness making my own muscles relax. "Really… thank you."

"Don't thank me yet," I warned with a smile, stepping over and grabbing the fish before waving it in the air, "we've yet to see what it tastes like."

* * *

After an odd tasting dinner (we burnt parts of the fish, made the rice completely mushy, and somehow managed to make the soup sour), a good round of laughs about our conjoined failures, and a small discussion on just what food was like in Soul Society (a lot of fish and a lot of rice, apparently), we hit the hay. The next morning I found her sitting in one of the three chairs standing on my small back porch, watching the snow lightly fall over my yard with daydreaming eyes and a wistful, but happy expression. She didn't notice me as I came out and joined her, wrapping my throw blanket I had slept with last night tightly around my shoulders. She had pulled back out her hakama top, allowing it to rest over her shoulders, which bore a pair of pajamas I had leant to her (all of her clothes I had thrown in the wash, as they were used). Curling myself up in the seat, I too watched silently as the snow fell into soft piles upon the ground's surface, the grass having died long ago. It seems she finally noticed my presence, because in a delicate voice her Japanese drifted through the wind and landed upon my ears.

"Shiro-chan would love this."

I blinked, pulled from my thoughts on the scene at her questionable statement. "Who is that, if you don't mind me asking?"

"Shiro-chan is Shiro-chan!" She said lightly, humor in her words as she giggled quietly afterwards. "He's become a Captain though, so I guess I have to keep my promise and call him Histugaya-taicho now. But, he'll always be my Shiro-chan."

The possessive yet affectionate way she talked about him made him seem more like a brother than a lover, I noticed, so he was probably a younger sibling. "Your brother, I'm guessing?"

She tilted her head this way and that, as if saying my statement was approximate at best. "In the Rukongai, ah- you call them Districts here, we were raised by the same person. The population is too large to have families of each and every dead person found, so the citizens of the Rukongai, like Histugaya-kun, Granny and me, form artificial families to get by. It helps, you know, with everything. Shiro-chan is like my little brother, I guess. Even though he's younger than me he's already a Captain though." Her expression went from reminiscent to shocked as she suddenly blinked up to me, watching me with her doe brown eyes, "Now that I think about it, I don't think he's much older than you, Barrery-chan!"

I visibly winced, disliking the accidental butchering of my name. Flower head or midget would be fine at this point. She caught that, and apologized immediately.

"Ah, sorry! I'm not used to your American name! My sincerest apologies…"

"Vallery." I stated, looking to her and emphasizing the next syllables. "Vvv. Vvvv. Bite your lip when you say it. Vvvv."

"Buvvv?" She repeated, letting her adam's apple test out the new sound. "Buvvv… buvvvv…"

I nodded, "Vvvallery. Vallery."

"Bvarrery. Varrery." She repeated, and I smiled a bit when I noticed she almost got it.

"Good! Now, Llll. Llll. Ahlll. Vallllery. Vallery. Tip of your tongue against the front roof of your mouth, just behind your front teeth. Lllll."

"Rlll. Rllll. Llla. Luh. Bvarlery." Her nose scrunched up as the odd word came out, and I couldn't help but chuckle at the interpretation. What mess linguistics were! It was like trying to teach Maya the difference between the languages all over again.

Maya… I missed her.

Realizing I still had company, and that she deserved my immediate attention (especially with that saddened expression of hers), I focused on the here and now, driving out all saddening thoughts. "Don't worry, Momo-chan. You'll get it with practice."

A smile tilted onto her face as she nodded at my encouragement. Before long she was at it again, practicing the sounds as I listened with a humor inclined ear while watching the snow's gentle decent onto the earth.

* * *

"They're inseparable…" Tate muttered to Mindy as the two spied on the conversing girls. Sure enough, in quick Japanese, the girls commonly burst into random bouts of laughter as they sat together on the courtyard bench. They had both painted their nails apparently, because whenever one of them made a hand motion or another, bright orange would flicker in the sunlight that bathed the area they sat in.

Tate and Mindy, of course, had both been vying for Val's attention earlier, only to be brushed off as the young Lieutenant spent time with her newest close friend. Of course, both of them realized Val didn't now what she was doing, but that didn't stop them from wanting to know just what was so interesting about a random female Shinigami that happened to accompany some old acquaintance of Captain Gingry, who spent time with the other white-wearing Shinigami more than pay attention to his duties as well. The whole situation was frustratingly confusing, to say the least. Not to mention, it shoved a good amount of work onto the third seat.

"How long have they been like this?" Mindy whispered back as she craned her neck over the edge of the roof to get a better look at the pair.

"Three days." Tate answered, irritability coming forth as he recounted the numerous times he had tried to approach his Lieutenant within the past few days. The girls were either in the training yard giving each other tips, or gossiping (what he thought was gossiping, anyway, because he had no clue what else it could be with the number of giggles they were interchanging) about one thing or another as they walked the halls of the barracks and navigated the streets of Soul City, Val giving the longest lasting tour the city had ever seen on a daily basis. "I don't get it. I mean, every now and then I can catch something that they say, but the language is just so intense… I don't understand a thing."

"That's 'cause it's Japanese, you dolt." Mindy insulted, whacking him upside the head. "You can't understand a language you don't speak!"

Tate growled, glaring at his superior officer with a pulsing vein and a clenched fist, "I know that Mindy. You know, if you weren't suffering as much as I was, I'd hit you back."

Mindy just stuck out her tongue, not caring for his chivalrous attitude. "You can't hit me because I'm a higher rank than you, dolt. Dolt. Dolty dolty dolta." Mindy's mouth twisted into a grin as she came up with the nickname for him. With a groan, Tate palmed his face, wishing his Lieutenant were here to save him instead of allowing him to suffer the Captain's abusive vocabulary while giggling away with a newfound friend.

As if to purposely make matters worse, they chose that precise moment to erupt into another round of giggles.

* * *

"And after that, I was like, 'Well, at least you talk like a pro!'" Hinamori exclaimed, making the both of us erupt into another round of laughter. Apparently, her former classmates, Abarai something and Kira something, had a lot of funny stories to tell. "And then, like I said earlier, the hollow attacked, and Aizen-taicho came and saved everyone! It was the coolest, kindest thing ever! I mean, imagine it- a Captain coming to save us! It was so… so… amazing!"

Her wild-eyed recounting made us go into another bout of laughter. We were holding our sides by the end of the night.

* * *

"…Are you sure?" I asked, wide eyed as I stared up at the Shinigami Captain. To go all out against him… what if he were injured? It was no big secret that I was on Captain level when referring to the Captains here, but everyone also knew that Soul Country had the strongest Captains in the World. It was mostly in part to the mastery of the first form of our Second Soul required to graduate the Academy- in other countries, the only requirement to become a Captain was to attain the second form. Many Lieutenants here had already attained the second form, myself not included. I was still working on materialization. But then again, Captain Gingry had said I was the most talented Magic user he'd ever seen; I could only hope that didn't include Captain Aizen, if the Captain truly wanted to go against me in my own field.

"Yes. Captain Gingry tells me that your energy is more of an electric-based type, so I'd like to see how I fare against you, considering we're both his former students. Just no spells above eighty five, of course, out of respect for our surroundings." He smiled, arms tucked into the sleeves of his haori. It was true, my energy made my Second Soul even more contradictory- despite her name; I was far more talented in electric-based spells than any other area, including all of Binder's Way, which up until last month had been my most proficient. With one of the fastest speeds in Soul Country, yet no hand-to-hand combat skills to speak of, along with the fact that I had long ago mastered my first form (yet couldn't handle a sword or katana for the life of me), all of my powers were uneven and incongruous. It was known to give me the upper hand in battle, though, when my enemies didn't expect it, so I never really complained. But still, would he be alright? I didn't want to hurt anyone, especially someone so kind. He had been so generous and gentle the entire five days I had known him, it made my stomach uneasy to think of harming him. I was hesitant, and for a good reason. Making Captain Gingry break a sweat was a feat few in the world could say they could do, and I was one of them. Could he do it? Would he be alright?

"It's okay, Vallery. I'll be there to supervise." A comforting hand was placed on my shoulder as my mentor and Captain gave me the support he always did. Still hesitant, I looked over my shoulder, searching for some of that confidence that he so professionally held. Those wintertime evergreens peered deep into my mind, and with a small nod to him, I found what I was looking for. If he was there, I could do it. I could restrain myself if necessary, and even if I couldn't, he could restrain me.

"…Alright. No spells over eighty-five. Can we have a Third Squad member on stand bye too, please?" The Shinigami Captain smiled down on me, and my mentor's chuckle escaped from his throat as he gave my shoulder one last reassuring squeeze.

"Of course, Vallery. I'll go get Lucas myself, if it makes you feel better." His hand dropped from my shoulder as I nodded, and with a small gust of wind, I felt him Feather off.

"Don't worry, Val-chan!" Momo encouraged, properly pronouncing my name with a reassuring smile and a happy look coming from those doe eyes. "I'm sure Aizen-taicho won't be too hard on you!"

My mouth tilted downward as I nodded, taking one last look up to the remaining Captain. He chuckled, bringing up one large hand and placing it on my head. I closed one eye to keep the hair from poking it as he gently patted my head, not messing up my hair as much as every other person taller than me always did.

"I don't think that will be the case, Hinamori-kun. Vallery-chan here might just give me a run for my money." Hinamori paused and blinked, looking between the two of us as I continued to stare into his brown eyes. How could he be so confident in me? Didn't he know I couldn't completely control my power? Or was he simply confident enough in himself that he knew he could take on anything I brought? That was a mistake my enemies often found fatal, I hoped he wasn't making it.

"Please don't hold back, Aizen-taicho. I want us to both be safe when all of this is over."

* * *

"I'm so sorry…" I whimpered even from on top of the makeshift bed, staring at Hinamori, who looked about ready to shed tears herself. "I'm so sorry, Momo-chan… Sorry… I'm so, so sorry…"

"It's alright." She stated, sniffling back tears as she took my right, still intact hand and brought it up to her chest. "It's alright. He'll be alright. He's being treated right now. It wasn't that bad, Val-chan. Please don't cry, it wasn't that bad…"

"B-but…" I started, looking up to her past my blurry vision. My grip tightened on her hand as I suddenly gasped, pain in my chest spiking for a moment before starting to numb away. Trevan and the fourth seat of the third squad were healing my injuries, while Lucas and the third seat focused on Aizen. Aizen, who I had nearly killed. Aizen, who had nearly killed me. Thank god I ran out of energy. Thank god he still had enough to block the majority of the blow. I could only hope his stomach wouldn't scar. I could only hope his arm would still function. I was such a horrid person. He said to go all out, and I did. So did he, but, but… I was such a terrible, horrible person. I should never have accepted this match in the first place. "I, I…" My breath was labored, but starting to ease as Trevan did his job. "I'm so sorry, Momo… please forgive me, I didn't mean… I didn't mean to go that far… I'm sorry… so, so sorry…"

"It's okay." She said firmly, but her face betrayed her voice even as she reached down with her other hand and brushed the lavender bangs out of my face. "I forgive you. It's all okay. Just don't speak anymore, Val-chan. Don't say anything else. Conserve your energy, okay? Go to sleep and conserve your energy. It's okay; I forgive you. You did nothing wrong, so I forgive you."

I swallowed, the taste of blood and dirt going down with my saliva as my eyes began to droop. Sleep. That sounded like a good idea. With what little energy I had left, I gave her hand one last squeeze before the warm embrace of sleep cradled me into her arms.

* * *

The scientist bit her lip as she paced the room. Her only company had fallen asleep an hour ago, leaving her struck with indecision: all alone in the room. It was a difficult choice, to say the least. Disobey a direct order, or commit a treasonous sin? Her captain could very well have her uniform for delaying this long.

White eyes flashed to the flower ring around the child prodigy's finger. It was just lying there, as if asking to be stolen. She could learn a lot about the girl's powers if she took it. It was in the name of science, after all. And on that note, it wouldn't be the worst thing she'd ever done. She'd ripped apart living, breathing humans just out of curiosity, she'd killed hundreds, if not thousands, just to collect their blood for population sampling. Yes, the Science division was a horrific place, but all who joined were prepared to do what it takes to keep America at the top of the technological latter.

On the other hand, the nagging feeling that she just shouldn't do it kept at her. It wasn't like she had a great bond with her Second Soul (it was just another experiment to her, in fact), but it still felt wrong to just take the girl's doppelganger and make a run for it. It was a nagging feeling, one she couldn't understand. It clawed and rubbed at her gut, lacing fear through her mind as her eyes drifted upward to the child's face. That's all the girl was, really. If you looked past the seemingly endless capabilities of quickly picking up on things, the abnormally high amount of popularity she had for just being a kid, and that overwhelming sense of peace and happiness everyone who talked to her got in their hearts as they realized just how kind the girl was. Just was just a child. A gifted, mature, and rather cute child.

And that was what made her so damn fascinating.

She could see it herself. After having the girl as an escort to a collection site, she knew Captain Gingry told the truth: the girl would be a Captain within the decade. But the scientist was willing to bet the majority of her reputation on it being even faster than that. The prodigy's growth rate was exponential, and after analyzing her energy as much as possible without taking an actual sample, the reasons behind that was still an anomaly. So the scientist's Captain ordered her to take the prodigy's Second Soul.

It was the perfect sample, really. The prodigy never went anywhere without it- so the energy stored in the Second Soul had to be massive. The data they received from the tests could very well revolutionize what the world saw as genius. The only true problem with the tests was that the Second Soul could be harmed, if not destroyed, by the whole process.

And to destroy a part of another person's soul… the scientist wasn't sure she could justify that to herself, much less millions of people. She bit her lip, rolling the skin through her teeth as her eyes went back to the flower. What should she do? Take it? Leave it? Beg the girl for DNA samples later? The prodigy didn't want to be a lab rat, which was clear to anyone and everyone who bothered bringing up the subject. She was extremely protective of her Second Soul, as well. So much so that she only showed it to a slim number of people: Drake and Yacub were the only Lieutenants the scientist was sure knew of the girl's first form. That was how advanced she was in Magic. And it wasn't like the prodigy would consent to being surveyed for a week or so- the girl was wary of even having her picture taken for some reason.

The scientist shoved a hand down her shirt, pulling out a long black cord with a coin attached to it. She quickly unthreaded the small disk of metal, but hesitated when it lay bare in her hand. Her Second Soul never really comforted her, but the scientist supposed it'd be best to leave matters up to Chance for know. At least it would clear her conscious… right?

She couldn't push the indecision out of her head- would this really be best to leave up to Chance? Lady Luck was fickle, it was something the white-eyed scientist had learned on many an occasion. But should she truly leave the girl's fate in such a woman's hands?

Swallowing, she flicked the coin into the air. Heads, she takes it. Tails, she leaves. A small ring was the only noise the room had heard for over an hour past the shuffling of clothes before the coin fell into her hand with a pat, and she turned it over onto the back of her arm, palm still covering the faces of her Second Soul.

Her Second Soul… she wouldn't want somebody taking it without permission, even if it was an experiment. The past conversations she had with her counterpart echoed through her mind, and a single discussion stood forth:

"If you're going to hesitate, then don't do it." The entity once advised, knowing better the ways of Lady Luck than many other creatures; "Hesitation is a being of the subconscious- if you hesitate, you do not think of it. You just do it. Your subconscious knows more than you. It knows more than I. It is grand, all-encompassing. If you do not listen to your subconscious, you will never grow wise. Thus, if you hesitate, do not proceed with the action. It could very well spell the end of many things."

Listening to such a rant had held the scientist back for years- it was an unrealistic way to live. Complete nonsense. Hesitation always occurred. It had to be pushed past, repressed, and honed to only appear in the most delicate of situations. It was completely contradictory.

And yet, the scientist couldn't shake the feeling that if she didn't listen to those words now, something bad was going to happen. Something truly, indefinitely terrible. Rolling her lip through her teeth once more, her white eyes lingered on her hand, which still covered the coin. Again, she hesitated. Again, she knew of it.

She sighed, dragging the coin off her arm and flicking it into the air once more, catching it with the ease of decades of practice. Not sparing it another glance, she tucked it into her lab coat's pocket, letting it stay in her palm for the time being as she stood over the prodigy's bedside.

"Consider yourself lucky, brat." She whispered. Her heart was not in her words, however, and with a great deal of fear for what her Captain might say about her failure to obtain the child's Second Soul, she Feathered away.

* * *

The sound of whispering slowly pulled me from my dream as I started to regain consciousness. There was a weight on my left arm, and with a grogginess caused by both lack of energy and an overall tiredness in every muscle in my body I slowly lifted my other to my eyes, hoping to rub the crustiness out of the edges so that it might be easier to open them. What I found was not only that my movements had been constricted, but also what felt like course linen had been wrapped around my arm, rubbing my skin raw and preventing me from completely freeing my eyes. Course linens… bandages? I pushed past the warning in my gut telling me to sleep for another hour or so, and forced a single eye open to see the damage. And damage there was. My right arm had been bandaged up to my bicep, and from turning my head I could feel that that was bandaged, too. I forced my other eye open when I saw the extent of the harm on my left arm to make sure that I was, indeed, seeing correctly. It, too, was securely wrapped, though the extent of the wound wrapped all the way up my arm and around my shoulder, likely adding yet another scar to the collection I was gaining upon it's surface. An attempted shift of my legs made them bump against each other, and I was relieved to find that besides the right twisted ankle I gained, everything was a-okay from the waist down (I didn't have to look to feel the restriction on my breathing was due to the linens around my stomach- a wound similar to the one Aizen no doubt had himself). Taking in a slow, deep breath, I looked back over to my left arm, past the wraps, and onto what was keeping me from moving it. A head full of messy brown hair, a too-cute sleeping face, and the tiniest bit of drool seeping out of her snoring mouth told me Mel was probably more comatose than I was previously.

"Don't you know not to sleep on an unconscious person?" I rhetorically asked the slumbering girl. With the carefulness of a tooth fairy, I slowly lifted my arm, easing it out of her hold until her head rested solely on the bed's surface. Bed. A look around me told me I was in the Third Squad Barracks, Medical Wing for the physically injured (they had different colored walls in each wing to liven up the place and make finding certain patients easier for outsiders). The walls here were a pale sea blue, and when the sunlight streaming in from the window hit the paint, it reflected in such a way to make it look like I was under the clear blue water of some distant ocean, peacefully floating along in a blissful land of pain-free happiness. On that note, I was completely pain free. Though I new better than to test things too much or remove the bandages, I could safely assume I was almost completely healed. And knowing Lucas's skills, Aizen probably was, too.

"Oh, you're awake." I blinked and turned my head away from Mel and to the door, watching the pale, white-haired Captain leaned against the doorway, slender hands tucked away into his pockets as he gazed at me with a slightly amused expression. "How are you feeling?"

"Like I just got hit by a train." I told him, referencing all the sore muscles in my body. Placing my hands flat by my chest, I slowly eased myself up into a sitting position, careful not to wake the Reaper in training lying at my bedside. "Did she get a day off of school?"

"No, but I gave her permission to skip. She's been at your side ever since, just like that Lieutenant for Captain Sosuke. They've each been worried sick about both of you. Try walking for me." Nodding at my doctor's order's, I carefully lifted the covers away (I was wearing a patient's gown given to injured Reapers, it fell to my knees and was made of actual cloth, no opening in the back like Human World Hospital gowns), being cautious enough in not only my own right, but so as not to wake the sleeping worry wart and cause her to freak out. Making sure the gown didn't ride up too much, I slipped myself out of bed, landing on painless feet with cool tile under my toes. Holding on to the bedrail so that nothing would happen, I carefully lifted and bent each leg, testing out their soreness before I bothered trying to walk. When everything was check, I dropped my hand from the rail and took a few steps away from the bed, going to the wall and leaning on it for support when I started to feel drained. Apparently, I'd yet to get back my energy.

"My ankle is better now." I stated; looking up to find him watching my movements with the serious expression every doctor held when treating his patients.

"It should be, it was just a sprain. And your arms? Moveable?"

I nodded as I twitched my fingers, balling them into fists as I lifted my shoulders and rolled them back, turning my neck from side to side to crack it as I did so. "Everything's working."

"Good. Your damage was much more extensive than Sosuke's, so I would've treated you first had it not been regulation to do otherwise. My apologies for that."

I shook my head, happy with his decision. "No, it's alright. I would've felt guilty had you come to heal me first with his stomach bleeding the way it was."

He sighed a small indignant sigh, an actual smile twitching the corner of his lips upward, "Of course you would have. Heavens forbid someone else is bleeding while your life is on the line."

Shrugging, I dismissed his statement- I knew I'd survive; Aizen's survival was what worried me. "So that's all his wounds were, flesh wounds?"

Lucas's eyebrows tugged downward, and confusion appeared on his face, "Yes, didn't you stop your attack? That's what it looked like, anyway. That you realized you'd gone too far and stopped your attack mid-blow."

My lips pursed as I shook my head before I sighed, remembering my final move too clearly for my liking. "No, I knew I put too much into it, but I didn't have the time to withdraw. I had barely gotten a holding on the spell before it was properly released- and he made a small barrier with his remaining energy to block what he could. I'm happy he had enough energy left to absorb that much of the blow though- he'd be dead otherwise, and I don't think I could ever forgive myself if that happened."

Lucas just sighed at my explanation, eyes closing as he shook his head, ghost of a smile apparent on his face. "Typical Vallery, always so hard on yourself, even if he's the one who challenged you, knowing you couldn't completely control your attacks once you let them out. And yet, like always, everyone else is left worrying about you, and the only person your worried about is the person who hurt you the most. Why don't you go see Sosuke, then? Last I checked he was awake." I hesitated, sending a look at Mel. Would she be alright? But then again, Lucas would take care of her should anything happen, so looking back to him, I nodded once more, repeating in my mind over and over how to put one foot in front of the other to I could walk out the door and into the hallway.

"Room 183; right, left, right, right." Lucas instructed, watching me over his shoulder as I nodded, biting my lip and staring at my feet as I put one in front of the other, starting on my way to the injured Captain's room.

* * *

I found him reading a book as he sat up in his bed, glasses hiding his eyes as they darted over the pages. Momo was laying with her back to me, head on his bed in a pose similar to Mel's, with the exception of a drool-less face and no snores escaping her mouth. I paused; hand on the doorway as I took in the scene. Like me, Aizen's right hand was bandaged, though only up to his elbow. I couldn't tell from his posture whether or not he had to have bandages around his stomach or not, though I could assume so. At least they were all flesh wounds. At least he was safe.

"Ano…" He paused, blinking up from his book and turning to watch me, semi-shocked expression on his face. "How are you feeling?"

A smile melted his previous expression as he nodded, brown eyes softening in mutual concern; "Fine, you?"

I shifted, "Same… how's your stomach?"

"Scratch free after Lucas's treatment. That was a powerful attack, Vallery-chan. I'm grateful that I seemed to have the energy left to block the majority of it. You're certainly the most gifted young woman I'd ever seen when it comes to Kido. You'd give the Captains back in Soul Society a run for their money, I'm sure." His compliments made me blush lightly, and I inwardly reveled in the fact that he called me a 'young woman' instead of a 'little girl', as that was a far more popular term used for one my age.

"You would've won had we been using stuff outside of Magic, though." I stated, knowing it to be the truth. "And besides, we collapsed at the same time. So it was a tie, if anything."

He chuckled, shaking his head, "As I'm sure you've been told already: You're kindness is only comparable to your strength, Vallery-chan. You'll make a great Captain one day."

I pursed my lips and shifted, unused to such high compliments. Aizen was so kind. I looked to the ground, unable to keep my eye contact with him and not blush. Searching for some sort of confidence, my fingers twitched together. Gentle Flower was there, her soft petals brushing against my skin in the most supportive of ways.

"Thank you, Aizen-taicho."

* * *

"Bye bye! Come visit us soon! Don't forget to mail me!" Momo shouted back to us, waving with a large smile on her face. I grinned, arm shooting into the air as I waved from side to side, wishing her a safe trip home.

"I won't! Bye!" She turned around, facing the same way as her captain once more as they kept on their way out of the country, taking the Western roads by foot.

"Momo and you sign up for a mail bird with the Thirteenth Squad?" Captain Gingry asked as we too turned away, starting to head back to our squad Barracks after the drawn out goodbyes. I nodded, watching the streets with a smile on my face as I thought about my new friend. The apartment would be lonelier without her, but we could still keep in touch.

"Yes sir."

The usual smile on his face grew a bit, "You two sure have gotten close."

I shrugged, "We've got a lot in common."

He just laughed lightly, lifting his hand to pat my head twice before we fell into a comfortable silence on the way back to our barracks.

* * *

"Your classes are usually held on Saturdays, Miss Wilkenson, is there a reason your schedule has changed?" The Magic teacher asked as I approached his classroom. As usual, his eyes were closed as he sat in lotus position, enjoying the changing seasonal weather: It felt like spring outside with the clear blue skies, but there was still a winter chill in the air.

"No change in schedule, sir. I'm here for scouting, actually." My response garnered a cracked eye. He watched me for a second, as if to check if I was serious or not, before he closed his dark eye once more.

"Very well. While you're here, you should give a demonstration or two. The Magic club was been less… driven in your absence. The students have become exponentially weaker. I would appreciate it if you assisted in helping me with such a nuisance." He stood as he spoke, going over to the door, but waiting to open it until I answered him.

"Of course, sir. I would be happy to help."

Something of a smile twitched upon his lips, and with a nod, he led me into the too-familiar classroom of his. Students dotted the walls here and there, studying their books. A few glanced up to watch us as we moved across the room to the back area, some broke into whispers. When we reached the back door and Sir opened it, I could barely contain a frown at the sight. There were only two upperclassmen helping the lower level students, the rest could be heard in the private yard shouting mid-level incantations. The students who didn't need help, or couldn't get any, were busy either working individually (and looking pathetic while doing so, I might add) or standing in small groups of three or four around the practice area, talking lightly about things completely unrelated to Magic.

"As you know, I prefer to keep a hands off approach when it comes to my students. However, this batch seems to be exceedingly sloppy this year, and no help has come from the Board to fix it. Over half of the Club's original joinee's quit during the last semester- and that number is slowly growing. From my observations they need a lesson on both patience, as the older members are lacking that to the extreme for not even bothering the help the lower classes, and perseverance, as you can see, many of my students have fallen behind in their training. Usually everyone excels in my course, but this year's group, I fear, is a bad apple. Perhaps if you gave them the hands-on experience I will not, you will both find your potential recruits and give them something to strive for. Are you up for the challenge, Miss Wilkenson?"

I could barely stand to look at the group. If any of them thought they could enter Squad Four with such… sloppiness, they were clearly delusional. In my two years here, everyone was always helping everyone else; and if you weren't studying, you were outside practicing your hardest.

'Bad apple' was an understatement. These kids would barely graduate.

"I'm afraid, sir, that this won't be a challenge at all. Knocking some sense into them won't make me break a sweat." He raised a brow, but said nothing as he watched the students silently for a minute or two. A few of them spared us glances, but that was a very small number.

Again, a bad sign. The appearance of a Reaper in my two years always had the entire club present, asking for a lesson on something or another. I couldn't count how many times I had asked for advice within my first year (second year I tended to beat every Reaper that came around, besides, of course, my Captain). A clap snapped me out of my analysis, and I found Sir gathering everyone's attention with his hands.

"Everybody to the private yard, no exceptions! We have a guest, so no complaints, either! Let's go! Everyone!" I blinked at their sluggishness as they slowly started to meander past us, stepping into the classroom and heading to the private yard. Sir sighed, disappointed at his student's lack of excitement, but said nothing as he followed the last of them in, me at his back as I shut the door behind us. He snapped to the remaining students in the room, "You all, too. Everybody, no exceptions."

They looked up from their books and huffed, helping each other up as they pushed past the darkness of the usual dimly lit room and walked outside into the shining sunlight. He sighed once more, shaking his head as he looked to me. "I hope you can fix this, Miss Wilkenson, I really do."

I just nodded, following him out of the room and into the chilly sunlight. I shut the door as he walked out into the middle of the yard, calling everyone forth to him. The upperclassmen that had been practicing earlier looked miffed about having to donate their field to the lower members, stirring a bit of anger in me. How selfish. How naïve. Did they truly think so little about their classmates? No wonder the drop out rate within the club was so high- with such rude, uncaring students as their only possible idols, the lower classmen either slacked off or dropped out. I wouldn't be a Lieutenant- hell; I wouldn't have graduated- if it weren't for my upperclassmen providing such a nurturing environment. I couldn't count the number of times I had been helped at the beginning- or the number of times I helped others at the end.

This… this was just… pathetic.

"Thank you, everyone, for joining me. Today we have a very special guest. Some of you may recognize her from the Feathering classes she teaches here every Saturday. This is Miss Vallery Wilkenson, a former student of mine. She's Lieutenant of the Fourth Squad, and has come here today for recruitment. Now," He paused, waiting for the whispers to die down. After a good bit of silence and more than a few of the upperclassmen being scolded by each other to stop goofing off, he finally continued, "Now, I have asked Miss Wilkenson to give you all a lesson today. Those of you who excel in whatever it may be could, perhaps, become recruits. As usual, I ask that you show her the utmost respect; she is not only one of the most proficient students I've ever had, it's very likely she'll be your commanding officer one day. No goofing off. Pay attention, all of you." He stopped and looked around, nodding more to himself than anybody else as he turned away from them, hands clasped firmly behind his back as he walked over to me. I looked up at him from the shade of the building's gutter, hands crossed over my arms as I relaxed against the wall. Talking to students I could decently handle nowadays: thanks to my weekly classes, I had learned how to be a teacher. Talking to large groups of Reapers was still something I had to work on, but speaking to the students should be no big deal. As such, when he paused in front of me, I waited patiently for him to speak. After a few seconds of silence, his cracked lips finally parted enough to talk, "I wish you luck, Miss Wilkenson. It is your turn to speak."

I nodded, pushing myself off the wall and stepping into the sunlight. I unfolded my arms and placed my hands in my pockets as I walked past my old teacher and into the center of the yard, standing precisely where he previously was. Looking around, I searched the face of every single student. A few I recognized as former classmates of mine; but like Sir had said, the majority of his previous students had dropped out after their upperclassmen had graduated, leaving the club weak and un-formed. Finally, after seeing the boredom behind each and every student's eyes, I spoke out to them: "How many of you know what the Fourth Squad is?"

A few people raised their hands, and I nodded to the first one. "The Magic proficient Squad."

"No. Next." He blinked in confusion, eyebrows furrowed as I brushed off his answer, nodding to the next person.

"That was what I was gunna say." She responded, causing me to sigh. Tongue in cheek, I nodded to the last person who had their raised their hand, but had since dropped it.

"Same as those two."

I swallowed, looking from face to face. "Does anyone know what the Fourth Squad is?"

A few of them shook their heads, others just waited quietly for me to elaborate. A few of the more bored ones took a seat, palming their cheeks as they dirtied their uniforms.

"The Fourth Squad is, first and foremost, a family." That got their attention. "A family whose expertise lay in the proficiency of Magic, yes, but a family nonetheless. We eat together, sleep together, train together, fight together, and lastly, we die together. Your Squadmates are your brothers and sisters, friends and allies, from the annoying cousins to the crazy uncles. No Fourth Squad member is ever alone- we help each other when it is needed; we push each other to become stronger and stronger. The only self-training given is meditation. I will tell you this right now: from what I have seen so far, none of you are capable of joining that family, my family." A few of them openly gaped; others didn't look surprised at all. Why should they be? It shouldn't be hard for them to see just how far the Club had fallen. The Fourth Squad was my home, and I knew I'd have my Captains support when I said there was no way I was letting such a sorry bunch of weaklings into that home. "However, I am willing to give you a chance to change my opinion."

I paused for a moment, letting that sink in. After a few moments of silence, I began anew, "The Magic Club I knew and loved was a caring, nurturing environment. The upperclassmen helped the lowerclassmen, and the lowerclassmen strived to be just as great leaders as their predecessors were. I don't know when that changed, but at this rate, I don't see why Sir even tries with you anymore. He's been kind enough to you to give me an opportunity to show you what it means to be a member of the Magic Club- the friendships I made in this yard have become the brothers and sisters I serve beside in the Fourth Squad. That is the purpose of the Magic Club, though it seems many of you have forgotten it." My pointed glances at the fifth and fourth years didn't go unnoticed, and many of them didn't meet my eyes in shame. "Those of you who wish to one day be a part of the Fourth Squad should know this: each and every member in the Fourth Squad is hand picked by a seated member already inside. If you simply apply to the Squad at your graduation, you will not get in. We do not accept applicants. Being that we are a family, you should be aware that personal skill is only the second base of judgment: teamwork is first and foremost on every member's agenda. Not looking out for younger members is not tolerated within our squad, being a recluse is frowned upon. I'm not saying you have to be a people person, as I'm surely not, but knowing when to help and when you need help is the greatest asset all of our family members have."

I licked my cracking lips, taking a few seconds to breathe. They were listening closely, which was a good sign. Perhaps this would work after all. Maybe, just maybe, I could straighten these students out. "All of that being said… I want you, all of you, to get into groups of two or three. Each group must have an upperclassman, a second or third year, and a first year. If there is not enough of one class, then just go wherever you are needed. Two minutes. Go."

They paused, glancing at each other to see if I was serious. After about ten seconds of doing nothing, Sir spoke out to the class: "She gave you an order, I suggest you obey it!"

That sent them scrambling. A few clouds of dirt were kicked up as students introduced themselves (that had me frowning, as they should already know each other) to each other, attempting to find people outside of their class to group with. I didn't count the seconds, but they managed to mangle themselves into six or seven groups of three in what felt like under two minutes. I nodded, looking to each group. It seemed about right, as the definite age difference between each of the group members was clearly visible.

"Alright! Here's where you prove that you're still capable of one day becoming a member of Fourth Squad!" I gathered everyone's attention with those words before continuing. "Sir asked me to give you a demonstration, so I will. These group members are your temporary family, so here's the hard part: with your temporary family, you will all try to bring me to my knees in any way possible. Though I suggest Magic, if your family member comes up with a better plan, I suggest you listen to them. I will only use Magic myself, though you should know that this is barely a handicap. If your family does, in fact, manage to harm me in any way, I'll give my seated members recommendations for you so that you will be checked up on for recruitment by the end of your time here. You've got ten minutes! Start when you're ready."

It took thirty seconds before the first Binding spell was sent my way.

* * *

"I heard you gave an interesting lecture today for Sir." My Captain remarked as I set the large stack of papers upon his desk. They had taken me two hours to complete, and it was edging on dinnertime within the Barracks. I shrugged after the pile was securely transferred, and my Captain habitually grabbed the one on top to begin skimming it for errors.

"You wouldn't believe how unmotivated those students were." My reasoning was solid, but he chuckled nonetheless.

"Not anymore, I hope?"

"Sir said I did a good job. I'm going to ask Mol to visit them next Friday though, to make sure they're keeping it together."

He nodded; placing the paper he had been briefing down on his desk as he suddenly remembered something he apparently forgot. His back was to me for a mere second as he turned and leaned down, sliding open his bottom drawer and finding a folder inside before pulling it out and turning back around, closing the drawer with his foot as he handed the folder to me. "If you could deliver these to each of the Captains before the night is over, Vallery, I would greatly appreciate it. I was planning on handing them out at the Captain's meeting tomorrow, but I realized they needed to be briefed on the information before then."

"Of course, sir." I accepted the folder from him, flipping it open to find twelve thin packets of neatly stapled papers just waiting to be delivered to their new owners.

"If need be, tell them it's urgent. Most of my fellows won't like being given extra work this time of day, but this is something that they should be prepped for come tomorrow."

I looked up from the papers, brows furrowed, "Is it that important, Captain?"

He nodded, a grave look taking over his face. "Soul Country has never been one to be hesitant about going to war, but I fear this just might need second thought. Please be fast, Vallery. Ignorance on this subject could spell disaster later on."

His seriousness was engulfing as I nodded, mentally registering the fact that this was the first time I had seen him so… worried? No, that wasn't it. It wasn't fear, either. It was like concern, with just a twinge of complete and utter resolution. The look wasn't one I fancied on his face, so with a salute, I Feathered away, heading for the First Squad Barracks.

* * *

I was able to trace Devon's energy with ease, finding him napping under a tree in his Barrack's training yard, small blade of grass poking out from between his white teeth as he rested. When I appeared before him, he didn't seemed surprised. He didn't even open an eye, at that.

"Don't tell me it's more work this late in the day." He complained, twisting the blade of grass in his mouth.

"For your Captain, actually, but you were easier to find." I told him, flipping open the folder and withdrawing the first of the packets. He cracked open an eye, turning his head to face me as I held the papers out to him. As he reached for and took it from me, I began again, "My Captain says it's urgent, so if you could, please…"

He raised a brow as he skimmed the contents over, "Gingry says it's urgent, huh? Well, if it's him, then I best believe it. I'll get it to her, you can go."

With a nod and a word of thanks, I stepped back, closing the folder as I Feathered away.

* * *

When I landed in the courtyard of the Second Squad, my eyes immediately went to the Bank guards who stood watch over the closed doors even throughout the nighttime shift. I speed walked over them, talking as I did so, "Excuse me, but is your Captain or Lieutenant in?"

They didn't get the chance to talk, however, as they snapped to saluting attention at the sound of the next speaker's voice: "And to whom do I owe this visit?"

I turned, hearing the voice come from over my shoulder. The figure came walking out of the shadows of a nearby building, and obviously wasn't Barty just by the sheer stature of the man. It was, quite obviously, Captain Atrai of the Second Squad, Fox of the Void Star.

Even considering how much your reputation had to be to actually take on your Squad's insignia as your title; this man fit to the rumors perfectly. Black hair was messily layered upon a tan face, with sharp golden eyes penetrating the shadows falling in from the setting sun. He looked to be in his mid-twenties (by human standards, mind you), with a slim figure, naturally tanned skin, and a bridge of freckles falling over his nose and dotting his cheeks. With his hands in the pockets of freshly-pressed black slacks, clean and spotlessly shined shoes barely clicking as they crossed the courtyard, his suit's black vest lay open to expose a tucked in and belted gray collared button-up, and a loosened tie hung around his neck. By all means, the man certainly fulfilled every rumor of lady-killer out there, but his too serious face counteracted his natural good looks, and there seemed to be an aura of professionalized business about him.

Nearly the complete opposite of his Lieutenant.

I was so struck by him, I almost forgot to respond: "Fourth Squad Lieutenant Vallery Wilkenson, sir. My Captain asked me to deliver some papers to you." As he continued to approach, I opened the folder and pulled out his stack, holding it out to him as he got within a yard of me so that I might keep my distance from him. Being too close to people like him could be distracting, to say the least.

He raised a brow and took the papers, not complaining about a thing as he lifted them up to scan them, "Gingry huh? If he's sending you this late, then it's obviously urgent. Thank you for the delivery, I'll look into it immediately."

I nodded, about to Feather away to go deliver the rest of the papers when he blinked away from them, as if just catching something.

"Wait; Wilkenson Vallery, correct?" I stopped, having only made it a step before he called to me.

"Yes, sir." I answered, respectfully turning to face him once more.

"Why do you save so much?"

I blinked; caught off guard, "Sir?"

He lowered the papers from his face, looking at me so intently with those piercing gold eyes I barely caught his words, "You have the majority of your paycheck automatically transferred. On top of that, half of the money you earn at the Academy each week is also deposited into one of your multiple accounts. It's uncommon to find someone so intent on saving that they do such things. My question was this: why do you save so much? There are many things a Lieutenant could splurge on, and yet your spending records show that even during your Academy years you only spent when absolutely necessary. Why must you store so much money away?"

My answer was something I had said so many times, I didn't even have to think about it before responding: "When I find my sisters, sir, I want to give them the best life possible. It's always been my goal sir, so I've always saved. It's more of a habit now, so I don't even think about splurging. I don't believe money is something that should just be thrown here and there sir, especially when so few people have it."

He just watched me for a second, and I could practically see the gears in his head turning. Finally after a minute's worth of silence, he spoke again. "'When'?"

Catching his insinuation, I nodded, "Yes, sir. Finding them isn't an option for me."

His mouth twitched, but his expression remained neutral as he nodded and turned away. "Give your Captain my thanks, then, for sending a competent Lieutenant."

I blinked, shocked at the compliment, but confused on how to reply. "Eh? Uh, yes sir, I guess…" He didn't respond, just kept on his way with his back to me as I shook my head, reminding myself of the urgent stack of papers that needed to be delivered. Without a word more, I feathered away.

* * *

Finding Lucas was too simple, and I managed to hand him the papers just as he was heading for his dinner in the cafeteria. Knowing I spent too much time at the Second Squad's Barracks, I sped away to Trent, handing him the papers and asking him to give them to Mindy for me before I ran away, praying the Captain didn't sense my cloaked energy and come chase after me, as the last thing I had on my hands was time to run from her. Trent understood and promised their delivery, and I met Markus on the way to the Sixth Squad's Barracks (good thing, too, as going inside Seventh Squad Barracks was a dislikable thought). With three Captains down in less than ten minutes, I was making good time as I arrived at the Sixth Squad courtyard, focused and ready to get the remaining seven handed out.

"Well look at what the cat dragged in." My attention snapped to the lounging lieutenant who sat outside the front door of a large building to the right of their courtyard: the Famed Tattoo and Piercing Studio operated by the Sixth Squad. It was where everyone who was anyone went to go get themselves 'tatted up' for their Squads and such. Besides our Captain and a few other die-hard members of the Fourth Squad, not many of my fellows tended to hang around the place. Not because it was bad, of course, but the members of the Art and Culture Squad tended to be eccentrics, as their blue-blooded, red-necked (with tanned white skin) Lieutenant perfectly embodied. "What'cha doin' here so late honey? Didn't take ya as one for the night scene."

She spoke the truth: night had fallen. Stars hung in the sky as the moon slowly winded it's way up to join them, and it was under their cover that I approached the woozy Lieutenant (and she was woozy, judging by the small of her breath). "I've got some urgent papers for your Captain. Can you give them to him for me?"

She tipped her Stetson up at the sight of the papers, brows knitting together as she took the papers in one hand, cradling a just noticed beer in the other. "I s'pose I can do that for ya."

"YO! ASHLEY! GET YOUR ASS IN HERE AND STOP SLACKIN' OFF!"

The yell made us simultaneously wince as she ducked her head away from the door, something like guilt playing on her features. "Aw damn, just when I thought I'd got away." She paused, blinked, then brought the papers close to her face, glaring at them past the night to attempt to read some of their contents. "Judgin' by what these babies have on 'em though, I can use you as an excuse. Now if you'll 'scuse me, I've got to get this information to my Cap'n. Night hun."

I nodded, stepping away from her repulsively reeking breath, "Night."

* * *

"Don't you know it's past your bedtime genius?"

I brushed off the question, shoving the papers out to the napping blue-haired twin. "Urgent, Lit. Take it to your Captain please."

He sighed, grabbing the papers before turning over on his side, away from me as he faced the back of the bench. "Fine, fine. He's eating right now, so I'll give it to him after dinner."

"Thank you Lit." I politely spoke, Feathering away while hoping he wouldn't fall back asleep before his Captain finished eating.

* * *

"Um… excuse me?" I asked as I peeked into the large, dark, circular room. A few dim lights hung from the high ceiling of the tower-like structure, providing just enough light to see a boy secretary working the desk at the far back of the room. He looked up when he heard my voice echo throughout the hollow place, and with a flick of his hand, motioned me forward. Quickly I Feathered to him, holding the tucked folder close to my chest as I appeared before him and his oddly bright lamp. "I've got urgent papers for your Captain."

He nodded, holding his hand out. "He's in the middle of something, I'll take those and get them to him after the morning meeting tomorrow."

I hesitated, remembering my Captain's directions clearly. Not wanting to be blamed should one of the Captains arrive unprepared; I shook my head lightly. "I'm sorry, like I said, it's urgent. May I give them to him now? Or perhaps Lieutenant Mary, so she could give them to him later tonight?"

"As I said, they're busy."

I pursed my lips, not liking the guy's tone. It was rude to treat anyone that way, especially your superior officers, even if they were from a different squad. "Captain Gingry would be disappointed to hear that; but this is urgent. Please let me give these to your Captain or Lieutenant, sir, so that I could hurry and deliver the rest before I miss my own dinner."

"Vallery? Is there a problem?" Mary's familiar voice intoned from my back right. The secretary dropped his hand to his desk, fear flashing in his eyes before it was smothered by professionalized distaste. I turned to the Lieutenant, catching sight of not only her, but another figure slinking forward from the shadows of a silent elevator that was situated at the side of the room.

"Not now that you're here, no. Here," I pulled out the papers and handed them to her, and white eyes flashed over them, scanning their contents with interest as I continued, "they're for your Captain. Captain Gingry said they were urgent, so I'm trying to get them all delivered as quickly as possible. Could you get that to yours before the night ends? It has something to do with tomorrow's Captain meeting, but I'm not sure of the details."

"Of course, Vallery. Before you go, would you like to sample one of our newest flavors of energy drink? It'd make your rounds go quicker, I assure you, and provide you with the energy needed to work all through the night." Her offer made me sweatdrop, and I shook my head with placating hands. Too much of an advertising tone didn't make her offer any more appealing.

"My apologies, but I hope to sleep tonight. Last I had a soda I couldn't sit still for hours; Heaven knows what an energy drink will do to me." I paused, cocking my head to the side as she looked up from the papers. "Thank you though, Mary. See you tomorrow?"

"Ah," She nodded, turning away as she stuck her nose back into the sheets, "Tomorrow."

Sending one last glance at the secretary (who was now looking at me in shock, as if stunned that I was his Lieutenant's equal), I Feathered away.

* * *

"Hey kid!"

I cringed, looking over to the group of Reapers waving at me from across the Tenth Squad's courtyard.

"Yeah, you! Kid! Whataya doin' wonderin' the streets so late at night? Don't you know the boogie man could come gobble you up?"

As good as I'm sure their intentions were I was grateful when Yacub's familiar energy invaded the courtyard, and he appeared right in front of me with a questioning look on his face. "It's nearly ten at night, and the first time you come to visit me in a week. Is something wrong, Vallery? Do you need your father for something?"

I sweatdropped, double thinking my initial relief. "No, Yacub, nothing is wrong. But yes, I do need you for something. Would you please deliver this to your Captain?" I didn't think I'd have to tell him it was urgent (I was talking to Yacub here), but when his brows furrowed and he tilted his head, I knew at least one more question was coming.

"Captain Gingry has you running errands this late at night?" He asked, a bit of scolding in his tone. He knew better than most just how odd the request was for the normally well-prepared Captain.

As such, I just shrugged. "He's been rather busy lately, and I don't really mind. I'm just hoping to get done by ten thirty at this point."

He pursed his lips, taking the papers from me. "Then you'd best get going. I won't be the cause of my child's sleep deprivation, even if your Captain is. Have a nice night, Vallery."

Ignoring the majority of his statement, I just nodded, stepping away to prepare to Feather to the Eleventh Squad. "You too, Yacub."

"Call me Father!" He shouted at me as I left, making my lips twitch in slight annoyance. Honestly, just who did these Reapers think they were?

* * *

I ran into Bradley, who felt my energy approaching, in the Eleventh Squad's courtyard, saving myself a lot of time and trouble as I headed off for the Twelfth Squad Barracks. Unlike every other Squad, the Twelfth Squad didn't have much of a courtyard in their barracks. Instead was a maze of beautifully architectured buildings, and the Twelfth Squad being known for their swordsmanship, many buildings were completely dedicated to small, independent dojo run by the seated members of the squad for the lower ranking individuals. It helps build character, Drake explained to me once, along with experience. What good was a Lieutenant who never imparted his knowledge to his subordinates? What good was a Captain who did not train her Lieutenant? Such teachings were common among the squad, and I felt Drake's energy just inside a building directly to my right. Trying to be as respectful as possible, I brushed off the bottom of my shoes before I stepped onto the raised walkway that laced between the buildings of the Barracks. After I slid open the Eastern style door, I came into a Japanese style room with another pair of sliding doors at the back, the space between the pair I stood at and the one that kept me from the fellow Lieutenant being just five meters.

"Lieutenant Wilkenson; a pleasure to have you with us, ma'am. Do you wish for a late night spar with Lieutenant Drake?" Said the sitting guard of the training room door. I shook my head, closing the doors behind me as I stepped into the room.

"Not tonight, thank you. I do need to deliver something to the Twelfth Squad Captain, however, and I thought Drake would know where to find her. Is he available right now?"

The guard hesitated, and seeing this, I waited as he debated the situation in his head. Finally, after seeing my patient expression, he elaborated: "Both the Captain and Lieutenant are training right now, along with the two third seats. It is the Captain sparring one of the third seats, currently, but Lieutenant Drake's turn will be coming up soon. If you wish, I will give the Captain the papers as soon as her turn is over, ma'am."

A smile melted my face at the simple solution: leave it to the Twelfth Squad to be the reliable ones. "Yes, please, if you can. I'd hate to interrupt their training." I pulled the small stack of papers out and handed it to him, noting that there was only one stack left for delivery. "My Captain said to inform yours that it is urgent, if necessary, though I doubt Twelfth Squad Captain would try to put it off. Have a good night, and please do your best."

He nodded, doing a small bow as he took the papers. "Of course, ma'am. You as well."

I left the building slowly as to be quieter, making sure to be respectful enough not to Feather until I stepped outside their gates.

* * *

"Vallery! What a pleasant surprise! What do you need? Would you like to eat with us?" Mint offered as I was escorted into the Thirteenth Squad's cafeteria. Even past it's moderate background noise, Mint's soft voice somehow seemed to breach it's surroundings and make it to my ears, reminding me once more of her gentle pacifism and peaceful spirit.

"No, thank you, Mint. I'm afraid I'm here on business." I untucked the folder from my arm, handing it out to her as her pale green eyebrows furrowed in slight confusion, "If you would please deliver this to your Captain and have him read over it tonight, it'd be greatly appreciated. My own said that it's urgent, and you are the last to receive the packet. My apologies for that."

Her eyes grew wide in passive shock before she nodded, snapping back to attention and softly taking the folder from me. "If Captain Gingry say's it's urgent, I shall treat it as such. Thank you for working so hard in delivering them to everyone, Vallery, I know it is greatly appreciated."

A smile grew on my face- the girl really was a very kind soul. "No, Mint, the thanks are yours. Have a good night, please. I need to get back to my squad and finish filing some papers before I turn in."

We shared a smile before she nodded, standing up with the folder in hand and exiting the room, presumably to deliver it to her Captain. I took the turn to leave, heading straight for my office so that I might be able to catch some sleep for the night before the meeting tomorrow morning. Since dinner wasn't served after ten, it looks like I'll be eating a big breakfast come morning.

* * *

**So... yeah. 12,000 Words. I really hope this helps speed up the story. Well, updating to a schedule would help speed up the story, but obviously I suck at that so... sorry. Again. I can't promise it won't happen again (because honestly, I think I'll break it), but I can say I've written far too much for this story to possibly deny its updates.**

**Funny story: over November I started NanoWriMo, a writing competition. The goal is to write 50,000 words in a month, the approximate length of a novel, and submit it to win. Any number of people can win, and the topic, style, or type of writing doesn't matter. 50,000 words. After realizing two weeks in the muses that I'd been so energized about over my planned novel had up and deserted me, I started writing fanficiton. For this story, in particular. 100,000 words in a week. It was intense. Thus, the story concludes with me being too lazy to submit the 100,000 words (and therefore not winning, shocker), yet somehow end up writing more for this story than I've ever written for all my other stories COMBINED.**

**Honestly. The total word count on my computer for this story is unbelievable. I don't know if the site is big enough to hold it.**

**Which brings me to another point. A plot turn was made in this chapter(s). A very important one. In another version of the story I'm working on, Lt. Mary takes flower, thus leading Vallery into a 'Bad Guy' sort of role. She works with Aizen, some mysterious guys I can't say too much about because they're also HUGE for this version of the story, and others to, in short, plunge the world into chaos out of revenge. It's dark, honestly rather depressing, and much more mature than this version of the story will be (or at least, this part of the version of the story you're reading now- things get better, I promise). But, like always, it contains some relatively humorous points (like I could ever right a chapter without humor, right?). I just want to know if you guys want me to post this version of the story, as well. Both versions have cut-off points for (because I refuse to post the entirety of it on here- how many hundred chapters would that be? Absolutely ridiculous), but I'll post the last parts of them somewhere, somehow. They can't just rot on my CPU. They also both have something of sequels planned.**

**Because really, you guys haven't seen nothin' yet. This story get's pretty damn crazy, if I say so myself.  
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**All I can really recommend is that you put up with my horrible scheduling and updating habits and push through till the end, because I really think it'll be worth it. Did I mention I love my reviewers? Yes, I love you guys. I'm really sorry for not weekly updating, I feel like I've let you guys down the most.**** Nakimina, Dreamer's Samhain, xXSweetestXAngelXNightmareXx, and Keiren-Kun89. I can't ask for forgiveness, but I can apologize. I am very sorry.**

**This is the last time I'll apologize in the A/N: sorry for such a long A/N! I know they're tiresome! Thanks for hanging in there!**

**But also hang in for more of the story! Review please! *bows*  
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